Control
by helluvabell
Summary: After being rescued by Esme, Bella struggles to leave her past behind. Starting a new life is never easy, but with the help of the Cullens Bella starts to find happiness. Will both her past and Edward's threaten everything they've built?-AH
1. Angela wuz here'

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. *sigh* All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs to the correct artist it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

_Cause I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity and  
I've been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key  
And I've been dying to get out and that might be the death of me  
And even though, there's no way in knowing where to go, promise I'm going because  
I gotta get outta here  
Cause I'm afraid that this complacency is something I can't shake  
I gotta get outta here  
And I'm begging You, I'm begging You, I'm begging You to be my escape._

"_Be My Escape" by Relient K_

**BPOV**

I grabbed a table toward the back of the diner—away from the windows. Outside, the rain was coming down. Big shocker in Seattle, huh? I was playing with the business card in my hand. A card I should not be holding, and if I was smart I would have torn it up the second _she_ slipped it to me. If he found out I had it…_but he didn't find it_. And now I was sitting in a run down diner, a little after midnight, wondering if it was courage or stupidity that had me thinking it would be a good idea to drop a line.

A kind looking, heavy-set waitress dragged herself to my table on tired feet. I knew how she felt, exhausted and forced to deal with others in order to make the cash. I shivered inside my soaked clothes, and Flo gave me a concerned look. Seriously, her name was Flo; it said so on her name tag.

I saw the look in her eyes and knew what she saw. Rain-drenched in an oversized purple hoodie wearing huge sunglasses at night, a bruised jaw and a busted lip. I got the same look from the other patrons in the diner. I ducked my head, not that it made me less noticeable, but just because I could not stand the pity.

"Can I get you sumthin', hun?"

I wondered if she took special waiting classes to learn that clichéd line or if anybody could do it.

"Coffee, please," I mumbled. Kind of hard to talk with a busted up mouth.

She came right back with my joe as I pulled the wet hoodie off over my head, but instead of taking a hike, she decided I needed some company. She sighed and said, "You waitin' on a friend?"

I shook my head and contemplated the missing 'g' in her vocabulary. Like the goddamn typewriter in _Misery._

"Didgya wanna order sumthin' to eat?"

Flo's typewriter had bigger problems than a missing 'g,' I thought, but instead I said, "Just the coffee."

She nodded her head and turned to walk away, but stopped and said in a soft voice, "Ya know, sometimes the only way to get help is to ask for it."

Stupid Flo and her stupid name tag with her stupid after-school-special advice. But I thought of my options, and quite frankly, I was not looking forward to another beat down. Working was hard enough banged up as I was, and my ribs were still killing me. No, it wasn't courage or stupidity that had me walking to the payphone in the back of the diner; it was good old-fashioned fear.

The payphone was riddled with ABC gum and scribbling that said 'Troy wuz here' and even a few 'for a good time…'s. I wondered if Stacy, Lacy and Tiffany had to change their numbers. I slowly picked up the receiver, dropped a quarter in, and dialed the number on the card.

Just as I was about to chicken out and hang up, I heard her sweet voice in my ear. A simple 'hello' was all it took for me to put on my big girl panties and ask for the help Flo was talking about.

"Hi, is this Esme Cullen?"

My voice nearly deserted me, and I had to struggle to get the damn words out. I wanted to slam the phone down and puke, not necessarily in that order either. My palms were sweating, and my voice was shaky. And because my mouth was so dry, I kept trying to swallow to produce some spit to keep my blasted tongue from sticking to the roof of my mouth. It would be a miracle if I could even hold this convo, and slamming the phone down was sounding like a better idea by the second.

"Yes, this is Esme."

"Uh, yeah, you probably don't remember me, but I saw you once… Oh, this is Bella… I'm Bella, uh… You gave me your card…"

"Bella, of course I remember... King's Inn on Fifth. Are you alright?"

She remembered. She remembered _me_.

I guess I took too long to respond because her voice came through the line with a twinge of panic to it.

"Bella, are you there? Are you hurt?"

Her concern for me ripped me out of my stupor, and I said, "I'm here. I'm in some diner, and you told me to call you if I ever need help… I—I can't go back, Esme." I was crazy to call. It was stupid to take up her time, and I was worried that she would just tell me to go the police. But instead of apologizing for probably waking her up, I kept going with my stupid whining.

"And I don't know what to do because if I do go back, I'll probably be in a shit-load of trouble. And I can't do it, Esme… I'm _really_ fucking scared." I jerked my hand back and wiped it on my jeans when I realized I'd been picking at some dried gum.

"Do they know that you're gone?"

"I slipped away from his guy and used the money from tonight to buy some different clothes and got a cab. But I don't have much left. If they find me…"

"Okay, everything will be alright. Tell me where you are, and I'll come get you."

I told her the name of the diner, and she told me to sit tight and wait until she got there. She stressed that I was safe as long as other people were around, and if they did find me, not to leave, no matter what. Sit tight—sounded easy enough.

I made my way back to the table, and was lost in thoughts of how things could go wrong, when Flo sat a plate with a burger and fries in front of me. She also set down a tall glass of Coke and picked up my cold, untouched coffee.

Confused, I said, "I didn't order this."

Flo just gave me a small smile and said, "My mistake. Shame since we'll just end up throwin' it away 'cause of health regulations. I'll tell ya what, it's on the house." Then, she just walked away.

I looked at the plate then back at Flo, who had made it back behind the counter. She just gave a small nod, and I had to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall because of her kindness. It was not something I was used to.

Burgers were a far cry from my usual diet, and I wanted to savor every greasy bite. I slid my shades off and slowly began to eat. I took small bites and chewed carefully, afraid that my lip might break open and bleed all over my tasty burger. My teeth were not in any better condition, and I could tell a few of them were loose.

I was slowly dragging a cold french fry through a pile of ketchup, debating on whether or not I wanted to eat it, when a throat cleared behind me. I jumped and reached for my sunglasses, but a light touch on my shoulder stopped me. I turned to see Esme's beautiful face smiling down at me.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Her smile fell when she saw the bruises on my face, and she brought a small hand in to gently stroke my cheek. "Oh Bella, what did he do to you?"

I didn't answer because it was pretty clear what the asshole did to me. I just took the small comfort from her soft fingers, trying to soothe away the pain. This was why I never forgot Esme. She never looked at me with disdain, and the compassion in her eyes was real. I was real. She saw past the short flimsy dress, high heels and make-up. Esme never treated me like a whore, and she didn't act like I was a burden.

"Can I sit down for a while? I hope you don't mind, but I brought my son," she said while nodding in the direction of a tall burly guy at the counter who was talking to Flo.

Taking in the sight of him had me tensing up. It's not that men made me nervous, I just didn't trust them. Hell, if I was being honest, I didn't trust women either. They were capable of being just as cruel, if not worse, than men. Judging by pure body mass alone, I knew this guy could cause some serious damage.

However, when Esme's son turned around, the first thing I noticed was the stupid grin on his face. Dimples—the sonofabitch had dimples. As he strolled up to the table, I thought the best game plan was to remain aloof. Who was he to me? Nobody. I didn't trust him, no matter whose son he was. But I couldn't deny the fact that his shit eating grin was causing the corners of my own mouth to tilt upward. Damn.

"Bella, this is my son, Emmett. Emmett, this is Isabella."

He sat down and slid a coffee over to Esme as she murmured the intro. I went over it again in my head as I nodded to Emmett. It was odd to be introduced by my actual given name instead of 'Angela', the name Heidi and Demetri gave me. As a silence settled over the table, I realized they were waiting for a response from me. I guess I was just used to the quiet, but they probably were not. No, they looked like they were used to laughter, sharing stories and warm fuzzy feelings.

"You know, that's the first time in a long time that anyone's recognized me as Isabella."

Esme's eyebrows shot up as she asked, "Oh, do you prefer Bella."

I just smiled and shook my head, and said, "It doesn't matter."

To be honest, I didn't know what made me tell Esme my real name. I first thought maybe it was because that was my first time getting picked up by the cops, and I didn't see the point in lying. It wasn't like I was giving up Demetri's or Heidi's name. Perhaps it was because she was so kind and actually treated me with respect. Who knows?

After being released, I quickly hid her card in the heel of one of the cheap shoes I was forced into the night before. After every rough night with a trick or a beating from Demetri, I took out her card while everyone else slept and gently stroked the raised lettering and wondered if she remembered me. I would wonder what I would say if she answered my call. I also worried about her changing her number. I quickly memorized the number, afraid of being found with the card. On the mornings Heidi was away, and I was forced to lay still beneath a sleeping Demetri, I repeated her name and the number in my head—like counting sheep until I fell asleep.

"Why is he here?" I didn't mean to blurt it out, but I was just too tired to care about my missing filter.

"Emmett's here for our protection, in case they send someone after you."

He gave me his dimpled smile, and I relaxed a bit. He was here for 'our' protection.

"Don't worry, little Bella. Nobody can hurt you while I'm around."

I just smiled, at least I hoped it looked like a smile. How could he make that promise? The truth was, he couldn't. He didn't know these people like I did. They took pleasure in other people's pain. They were sick and demented, and now Esme was in danger because she was helping me. I tried to stuff down the feelings of guilt my selfishness stirred. I didn't think of how this could affect her, and for the first time, I was regretting listening to Flo.

"Bella, if you're finished, I would like to talk about where you want to go from here. If it makes you feel better, Emmett can move back to the counter."

I shook my head and said, "He's fine."

Emmett visibly relaxed, like he was relieved to pass a test I unknowingly put him through, and motioned to Flo.

"Hope you ladies don't mind, but Flo offered me some of her pie," he said while waggling his eyebrows. I didn't think he meant for it to sound dirty, but that did not stop Esme from dressing him down.

"Emmett, behave."

His pout did not stay on his face for long, and he lit up like a kid on Christmas morning as soon as Flo set down a large, flaky slice for the rather large guy.

With a shake of her head, Esme continued, "Do you need us to take you to the hospital?"

"No," I whispered. I had learned that hospitals cost money—money I didn't have, not to mention questions I would rather not answer.

"Well, I really wish you would reconsider. Bella, I'm going to be blunt with you. If we take you to a shelter, how long would it take your pimp to find you, abuse you and then force you to turn more tricks?"

I had to swallow the lump that formed in my throat before I could say, "Not very long. If I'm lucky, a couple of days."

I was not stupid. I knew when Demetri and Heidi found out what happened tonight, they would come looking for me. And when they found me, I would pay dearly for crossing them. They would make an example of me. If they didn't kill me, I would definitely be wishing for death.

She took a deep breath, and with a determined look on her face, she said something I that managed to baffle me completely.

"I want you to come home with us."

* * *

AN: I also want to thank Kimmydonn and kas90 from Project Team Beta for doing a wonderful job beta-ing this for me!Let me know what you think :)


	2. Paper Plates and Doughnuts

Thanks to Ava Abney and Kayla Cullen from Project Team Beta for taking me to task about comma usage and using the correct tense.

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs, it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

_Your mama never told you  
how you were s'posed to treat a girl  
Your papa never told you  
now you're alone, out in the world_

_Sirens are screaming  
inside the winding sheets are pale  
The devils are dreaming,  
dreaming of a blue angel_

"_Blue Angel" by Squirrel Nut Zippers_

**EmPOV**

I woke up to someone softly knocking on my bedroom door. It confused the hell out of me, and I looked around taking in my surroundings. Bed—check. Naked Rosie—check. Alarm clock telling me it was twelve something—che—wait, what? I looked to the windows and saw it was still dark out. Great.

"Emmett? I need you to take me to Seattle," Esme's voice came through the door muffled, but I heard her loud and clear.

I sighed and looked at the clock again, but my sweet Rosie's husky murmur had me whipping my head in her direction.

"You should go. The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back to bed."

I grumbled because by the time I got out there it would be close to four, but quickly found the pair of jeans I left on the floor to cover my naked ass. _What?_ If you had a girl that looked like my wife, would you wear clothes to bed? The answer, my friends, is _hell_ no.

But Rosie was right. If Esme was waking me up in the middle of the night to drive her to Seattle, it must be important. Usually, she would take one of the girls or Jasper to help put whatever damsels in distress at ease, but when she felt like she might need a little protection, Esme would bring me along.

Sometimes being so big and muscular isn't always so great. It's always the first thing people notice about me, and it gets tiring being constantly sized-up. Men wondered if they could take me, and women were afraid I might have roid rage and back hand them for no reason. Not to mention, I had a tendency to break furniture, and I couldn't swim to save my life because I sink like the fucking Titanic. However, it was all worth it on nights like this one, nights when my size helped my mom and some poor, scared girl feel safer.

I quickly fixed the Escalade with phony paper license plates so we couldn't be tracked, as Esme entered an address in the nav system. During the drive, Esme told me about Bella, and I was actually interested in meeting her. It's not that Esme didn't typically care about the girls she helped, because what kind of crap social worker would she make if that was the case. No, it was how she talked about Bella. I could tell she was excited about seeing her again, and I hoped this turned out well. I couldn't count the times I had seen my mom discouraged because another girl fell through the cracks.

When we got to the diner, Esme spotted her immediately and ordered me to buy some coffee for us before making her way over to the tiny brunette in the back. I walked up to the counter and asked the waitress for two coffees and the check for Bella's table since Esme mentioned the girl was low on cash.

"Don't worry 'bout it, shug. Her meal was on the house."

I smiled and realized my mom wasn't the only one taken with Bella. I looked over at the table and saw Bella sizing me up. It was hard to keep the smile plastered to my face when I noticed her bruises and busted lip, but I managed. I looked down at the lady's name tag as I said, "Tell me…Flo, do you have any pie?"

"Best pie in Seattle."

I smiled, reached into my wallet and laid a crisp one-hundred dollar bill on the counter. Flo's eyes bugged out, and she sputtered something but not really saying anything. What do you know, I guess you can strike someone dumb. I grabbed the coffees and headed to the back table.

Esme handled introductions as I gave her the coffee she wanted. Bella looked me straight in the eye even though one of hers was nearly swollen shut. I didn't catch a glimpse of fear. No, she just plain did not trust me and why would she? If a man put his hands on her, of course she's not going to trust me—a stranger. It wasn't like she knew I _wouldn't _hit her. She just knew she could take it, and it nearly broke my heart.

We finally made our way back to the Escalade after convincing Bella that her best bet was to come home with us. On the way to the car, she nervously looked around for whatever assholes were after her, and the fact that she was so scared of them only fueled my anger toward the spineless bastards who thought it was cool to knock her around. Even though I told little Bella that she had nothing to worry about, I didn't tell her about my background. I wished she would believe me, but I didn't want to scare her by telling her I not only _could_ but _would_ snap any motherfucker in two if they laid a hand on her.

When I opened the back door, she climbed in quickly, headed toward the back seat, strapped on her seatbelt, and curled herself into a ball. Esme took the seat next to her, and when Bella drifted off to sleep and slumped over, Esme began running her fingers through Bella's hair. I saw the content look on my mom's face in the rearview mirror. The love she had for the girl helped me decide that I would do whatever it took to protect Bella. She meant too much to Esme to allow anything or anyone to hurt her again.

I thought back to our conversation on the way to the diner when Esme told me her plans on bringing Bella home with us. I had asked her why we weren't driving Bella to a shelter in another city.

She simply said, "Because they didn't break her. There is something special about her, Emmett. She may be terrified, but she's strong. Not only _can_ she be saved, but she _wants_ to be saved."

It was already after eight when I pulled into the driveway, and I knew the rest of the house would be awake and having breakfast in the kitchen like we do every Sunday. Sunday mornings were spent going over what we had planned in the coming week. Alice was going shopping, Jasper was making changes in the stocks we held, or Rose needed to tune up whatever car was making a funny noise. Basically, Sunday mornings were family meeting with pancakes.

I carried Bella into the house and headed toward the stairs. The poor girl was so exhausted she slept through all the jostling and the loud voices of my family members coming from the kitchen. Just as I hit the stairs, Alice strolled out into the foyer but came to a stop when she spotted us.

"Who—?"

"Alice, go tell the family I have something important I want to discuss." Esme was already rushing up the stairs in front of me before Alice had a chance to ask about the bundle I carried.

I carried Bella to one of the spare rooms and gently set her on the bed. Esme was muttering about pen and paper while I slid Bella's shoes off. I left the rest of her clothes on for obvious reasons and pulled the blankets up over her shoulders. Bella made a small sound that had me freaking out because I didn't want her to wake up in a strange bed with me looming over her, but she whispered something about clouds and angels. I could not help the smile on my face. She was dreaming.

I turned to see that Esme had a small pile of clothes in her arms. She nodded to the door and softly said she'd be down in a little while.

When I got to the kitchen, I saw that everyone was waiting for me and Esme to give them the four-one-one. I saw my Rosie and made my way over to her grabbing a doughnut when I passed the island. She must have had plans to go to the womens' center today judging by the clothes she wore. She had on a nice top, black pants and high heels. I loved it when my Rosie wore heels.

"You look tired, baby," she said while tracing the bags under my eyes with her tiny fingers.

I just nodded and looked around the room and saw the rest of my family with questions in their eyes. They would just have to wait for Esme to get here. This was _her_ show. Jasper let out a loud sigh as he wrapped an arm around my sister to try to settle her down. It was a Sunday, and I knew he probably didn't have plans to go anywhere, seeing as he was in jeans and t-shirt and barefoot. Apparently his country-ass couldn't afford shoes.

"Are you seriously gonna wait for Mom to get here before you let us know why you two were gone all night? Oh, and the fact that you brought someone back with ya'll."

I just smirked at him and said, "Nope. Not my story."

"It's fine, Emmett. I'll tell them."

Everyone turned at Esme's voice as she walked into the kitchen. She had shrugged off her coat and was in the process of peeling off her boots while she sat in a stool at the counter. Carlisle came up behind her, gave her a peck on the head, and started rubbing her shoulders. I could always sense when Rose was in a funk or worn out, so I guess it was no surprise that my dad could do the same with Mom. She gave him a small smile, took a deep breath, and then began to fill the rest of the family with what was going on.

"Last night I got a call from a girl who I met while working in Seattle. She was badly beaten and used the business card I gave her months ago to reach out and ask for help."

Edward spoke up, "I don't understand. Why did you bring her here? Is she a runaway, or does she just come from an abusive home?"

I knew some of my family members were not going to like the answer to that question. Just because everyone admired my mom didn't mean they wanted to "get their hands dirty" like she did. It took a strong person to be able to see past labels, and Esme was one of the strongest women I knew. She didn't judge; well, at least she didn't give off that impression.

Edward on the other hand, would rather just push money at the problem and hope it went away. Look at him, standing in a business suit on a Sunday morning. I knew what that meant—another business trip. That was what he called them, but we all knew the trips were just an excuse to get away from his annoying girlfriend, Lauren. I didn't understand why he kept her around, more importantly why he thought it was cool to let her stay here. I mean, seriously, he couldn't stand Lauren sometimes, what made him think we could?

"She's not a runaway, but she does come from an abusive environment."

Leave it to Esme to put a tactful spin on this. I looked around and saw some of them working out what she said in their minds. For a few of the others, mainly Lauren, I decided to lay it out there. I was tired and there was no sense in sugarcoating anything.

"Her pimp banged her up real bad, and Bella's terrified he'll find her. That's why we couldn't take her to a shelter."

Yep, that raise a few eyebrows.

"A whore! You brought a whore here?"

Ah, Lauren. I had to work hard on not throttling the bitch. Lauren was the only one still in her pajamas, and they were the silky kind that left little to the imagination. Yes, we knew that she and Edward were sleeping together, but did she have to throw it in my parent's faces? Don't get me wrong, Mom and Dad were pretty chill when it came to that kind of thing happening under their roof, but for the love of God, please put some clothes on. And she called Bella a whore. Her only saving grace was my sweet wife running a comforting hand across my back.

Carlisle spoke right over Lauren as if he hadn't even heard her, although it was hard to miss the shriek. Dogs everywhere were probably raising their noses and perking their ears trying to figure what the hell was up.

"Did you want me to take a look at her injuries? If they are serious, we can always take her to the hospital in Port Angeles, so nobody can make the connection between her and the family."

Esme covered his hand which was still lying on her shoulder with her own and said, "Thank you, darling. I was hoping you would be supportive."

I guess Lauren actually thought she had a say in this meeting because she spoke up again, "Of course we support you, Esme. What you do is very admirable. I think it's a great idea that she goes to a hospital in Port Angeles. Nobody needs to know that she's staying here, but how long _do_ you think she'll be here?"

You could feel the tension in the room. Everybody knew Esme didn't give a rat's ass what anybody thought of her or the work she did. Sure we had money, lots of money, but for the most part, we weren't snobs. Lauren implied we should be ashamed of having Bella in our home. She must have sensed the hostility coming at her in waves, from all directions, because she tried to give some half-ass reason for the things she said.

"She could kill us in our sleep and steal our valuables to buy drugs!"

Okay, so I could see how that could be a problem, but the only marks I saw on Bella's arms last night were hand prints. Besides if Lauren thought for one second Esme wouldn't put her family's welfare before anything else, she was out of her mind.

"Why are you even here? This is a _family_ meeting?"

I guess Esme finally had enough of her. Judging by the looks on some of the mugs in this place, I wasn't the only one who couldn't wait for Esme to rip into her. Edward, being the supporting boyfriend that he was, just sighed and turned to get more coffee from the pot. It seemed like Lauren was on her own.

"But Jasper—"

"Not only is Jasper engaged to my daughter, but he contributes to this household; whereas you, don't. He has earned his place in this meeting."

"But Edward—"

"Yes, you are a 'guest' of Edward's, not mine like Isabella is. Let me make something perfectly clear, you _will _be respectful to Bella, or you can get the hell out because at the end of the day, I own this house, not Edward."

Damn, I never knew Esme had it in her. Neither did Lauren because she just huffed out of the kitchen while muttering, "Whatever."

We all heard a bedroom door slam, and everyone turned to Edward.

"What? I don't have time to deal with her shit. As soon as this meeting's through I got to book it to the airport."

See what I mean?

"Son, why—"

Dad's question just hung in the air unfinished, and Edward merely shrugged his shoulders and went back to drinking his coffee. The sex must have been outstanding to want to keep her around, but I seriously doubt it. After nights when Lauren had been _very_ vocal, Edward always seemed even more disturbingly uptight after supposedly getting laid the night before. Maybe Carlisle needed to pull him aside to make sure he was doing it right.

"Well, girls, I need one of you to stay with Bella today. Not only for Carlisle's checkup, but I need someone to take her to get new clothes."

Alice was shaking like a Chihuahua on crack. I was worried about unleashing my sister on Bella. I didn't want the girl more traumatized than she already was. Mom must have been thinking the same thoughts.

"Alice, I know you enjoy shopping, but Bella probably won't feel comfortable spending a lot of money on clothing. I'm also pretty sure that she'll want to pick out her own clothes. If you want to go shopping, I'd feel better if Rose or Jasper went with you."

"Sorry, Esme, I'm spending the day organizing the Platt Charity Ball, then I'm heading over to the women's center. My plate is full for the day."

I looked down at my girl and saw that she was a little bummed about not spending the day getting to know the girl that Esme fiercely defended.

"That's fine, Rose, but if you could do me another favor, I would be extremely grateful."

Rosie nodded her head.

"Keep an eye on Lauren. If she says anything cruel to Bella, I want you to put a stop to it and let me know. Edward, I wasn't kidding I will throw her ass out if she crosses the line."

My brother rolled his eyes but otherwise kept his mouth shut.

"Jasper, do you mind spending the day shopping with Bella and your beautiful fiancée?"

Jasper smiled and wisely said, "No, ma'am. Not at all."

It's funny, Carlisle accepted Bella because Esme loved her. Rose was willing to protect her just like I was. And Jasper was willing to give up his day off to escort her because of Alice's excitement, and my sister only caught a glimpse of Bella. Perhaps if Edward cared for Bella, Lauren would quit being such a bitch.

A/N: I'm working on posting the links for the Polyvore sets that go with the chapters. Leave me love.


	3. From Bukowski To Belonging

Thanks to ginginlee and Idealistic4ever from Project Team Beta for whipping this into shape and the many wonderful suggestions they offered.

Sorry this took so long to get out. I've been busy writing the story, and if you want the un-beta version, check out my profile page. I think I have the link for The Writer's Coffee Shop. Same title and pen name.

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. *sigh* All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs to the correct artist it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

_

* * *

_

_Went to bed and didn't see  
Why every day turns out to be  
A little bit more like Bukowski  
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read  
But God, who'd want to be  
God, who'd want to be such an asshole?_

"_Bukowski" by Modest Mouse  
_

**BPOV**

It's a funny feeling when you know you're asleep and about to wake. I hated that feeling because it meant I had to face another day of hell, and I would rather endure nightmares than real life. It was sad but true. While sleeping time has a way of losing all meaning. In the dream world, things could happen over a span of days, when in reality it was just a few seconds. Sometimes it happens the other way around—dreaming for hours, you may only be privy to a small blip. Whatever the case may be, I looked forward to them—the blips, dreams, hell, even nightmares. It meant I got some sleep.

But this was no nightmare. I was dreaming of angels and heaven, or at least the hypothetical version that was shoved at me when I was a kid. When Grandma Marie died, I asked Renée where she went. She told me she was in heaven with the angels. This was the heaven I imagined she was talking about—a heaven full of clouds and peace, all in a white color scheme. There was no pain, just quiet serenity.

It was because of that dream that I tried to stay asleep. Despite the inner workings of my foggy mind, my bladder had other thoughts, mainly, "I'll go with or without your permission so move it!"

I cracked open my eyes and immediately started bawling like a fucking baby. It wasn't a dream. I was surrounded by plush white blankets, and I remembered that an angel had come for me the night before in some tiny diner through the pouring rain. So I cried.

I cried because I could have very well been in heaven, and I knew I had done nothing to deserve being in a place like that. I cried because I finally made it out. I cried because there was no way I could stay where I was, and knowing that seemed almost cruel. Most of all, I cried because part of me doubted I was really tucked away safely in a warm bed, far away from my nightmares. It was similar to those stupid dreams I was so sure actually happened, only to find out I was still asleep.

I hoped I never wake up.

I quickly moved to dry my eyes only to wince and grunt in pain when my hand met the shiner I was sporting. Maybe Esme had a pack of frozen peas somewhere. Nobody likes peas, right? They wouldn't be missed. In fact, Esme's family might even thank me for saving them from the tiny, nasty, green spheres.

There was a bench at the foot of the bed, and sitting there was a change of clothes with a note on top. I looked down and realized I was still wearing the clothes from the night before, and I was eternally grateful they didn't get a look at the extent of the beating Demetri had given me. There would be no way Esme could have seen the dark discoloration around my midsection and not insisted I go to the goddamn hospital.

Since my bladder was still screaming at me, I decided to take the note with me as I did my business. I grabbed that sucker and hobbled in the direction of an open door that looked like it led to a much-needed toilet. Jackpot.

I wandered into the brightly lit bathroom, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the tub. Sitting next to the window, it looked like the perfect place to get pruney. Not anchored to any walls and set on a slight platform, the high ledged bathtub seemed to float in the middle of the white room. If it was possible to lust after a bathroom fixture, I proved it as soon as I laid eyes on it. I definitely had plans for that mother, but first—business.

_Bella,_

_I left these clothes for you until we can get some more of your own. Feel free to wash up in the bathroom. The bubble bath is under the sink._

Good to know, but truthfully, the bath was happening regardless. How could it not?

_Someone from my family will be waiting for you downstairs if you wake after I've left for the women's center. My husband Carlisle took the day off from the hospital, so don't be surprised if he wants to take a look at any injuries you might have. Don't worry; one of my daughters will be around so you won't be alone._

_You are safe in this house and with my family. I'll see you before dinner._

_Esme_

As I dragged a sudsy washcloth over my body, I thought about Esme's letter. I wanted to believe her when she said I was safe here with her family, but it had been so long since I'd last felt safe. What if Esme was wrong? Just because I trusted _her_ didn't mean I trusted her family. Sure, Emmett seemed like an alright guy, but I still had my misgivings. The truth was I didn't know him from Adam; hell, I wouldn't even trust Adam himself.

A sharp intake of air let me know my ribs were in far worse condition than I thought. Who knew a boot to the side could nearly ruin a perfectly splendid bubble bath a couple of days later? Maybe I did need to let Esme's husband take a look. What if he made me go to the hospital? What if Demetri and Heidi were watching local hospitals and found me? And why the hell was Esme so insistent that I go get checked out? I wondered if Esme _did_ see the bruising. It didn't explain why I woke up in the same clothes I wore yesterday. It wasn't like modesty would prevent her from changing me into some pj's if she did see the bruises on my body.

By the time I changed into the baby pink tee and blue jeans she left me and moseyed downstairs, I was still, on the whole, weary of the Cullens. What the hell kind of "checkup" from her husband, the good ol' doc, could I expect? If he claimed he needed to do any kind of internal examination, I'd say fuck that. Esme's nice and everything, but if that was the price of staying here, she can shove it. There were a few times when a wife wanted to do something "special" for her husband, and I got dragged in. Of course that something "special" was usually something wifey didn't want done to her. I shuddered, remembering the times when both husband _and_ wife participated.

In the kitchen, apparently waiting for me, was a small woman with dark, cropped hair who seemed entirely too happy to see me. She must have had an espresso or something because the chick was buzzing with energy.

"Hi, Bella," she said while crashing her body into mine for a hug. I thought Esme said I was safe with her family—again with the pain. She quickly let me go when she felt my body jerk.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said in remorse when she felt me shudder in pain. She stepped back and took in my appearance. Her eyes briefly lingered on my blackened eye before she pointedly focused on the uninjured one. "My name is Alice by the way. I'm Esme's daughter. I cleared my schedule, and you and I are spending the whole day together."

A throat cleared from the other side of the kitchen, and my gaze landed on a handsome blonde in khakis and a grey t-shirt that hugged his torso. It would figure that a babe like Esme could rope in an equally attractive spouse. Sure they were probably in their fifties, but Mr. and Mrs. Cullen knew how to take care of themselves.

"Hello, Bella. I'm Carlisle, Esme's husband."

I nodded my head to let him know I heard him. Hopefully it excused my gaping at him.

"My wife said you might have some injuries, and I was hoping to take a look at them before my daughter takes you out today. With your permission, of course."

"Yeah, okay. Can I grab something to eat first, or did you want to do this now?" I asked rudely, not wanting to do it at all.

"No, it can wait 'til after you eat," he said while handing me an ice pack from the freezer, instantly making me feel bad for being such a bitch to him. "We already cleared the breakfast but feel free to rummage around the pantry or fridge. I'll be up in my office when you're finished. Alice can bring you."

As soon as he left, I turned only to see that Alice had beaten me to the fridge.

"So, Bella, what are you in the mood for? It's already past twelve so you'll probably want some lunch. We have lunchmeat and sliced cheese if you want a sandwich, cans of soup, TV dinners, frozen pizza—oh! We can throw one of those in the oven. You like pizza, right?"

She should probably switch to decaf since she said all of that in one breath.

"Cereal's fine," I said.

"Okay, we have Cheerios, Raisin Bran, Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms…"

"Lucky Charms is great."

I swear, if she started listing the different types of milk they had, I couldn't be held responsible for my actions.

The examination was almost as uncomfortable as I had imagined it would be. Still, Carlisle kept everything legit by making sure Alice was there for the whole exam, and by letting me keep all my clothes on with the exception of taking a quick peek at the bruises on my midsection.

Poke. Wince. Groan. Repeat. "When did these injuries occur?" "Are you having trouble breathing?" Blah blah blah.

The whole time, Alice babbled about our plans for the day. Apparently we were going shopping. I took in her designer clothing, shoes, and the huge rock on her finger and said, "Alice, I don't have any money to do the kind of shopping you probably have in mind. If you just take me to a Wal-Mart or Target, I can manage."

By the look on her face, you would have thought that I told her a unicorn took a dump on her bed. I wasn't really sure where that analogy came from. Perhaps I didn't get enough sleep. A low chuckle brought me out of my thoughts of analogies gone awry.

"I don't think anybody has the kind of money to shop the way Alice wants to. Besides, you need clothes, and Esme wants to get you some," Carlisle whispered while lightly pressing his fingers around my black eye. He made a "hmm" sound when I flinched from the pain.

Alice stuck her tongue out and went straight into a rant on the pros and cons of Prada; so naturally, I tuned her out. I knew she meant well and was only trying to make things less awkward for my sake, but the truth was, I couldn't relate to the girl. My eyes drifted around the doc's office and landed on an old, wooden cross he had hanging next to his door.

"Nice cross."

Carlisle stopped his prodding, and Alice her raving, and he said, "Thanks. Are you Christian?"

I could understand why he and Esme were together. I thought, if it had been anybody other than the two of them that asked me that question, it would have been filled with disbelief or condescension. Not Carlisle though. I could tell he was actually curious if we shared similar beliefs.

"My family wasn't very religious when I was growing up. I do find it interesting, but honestly I've only been to church once. I _try_ to be a good person." I nodded over to the cross and said, "It looks old." Why did I have to say all of that? A simple yes or no would have worked. He looked at me with a smile on his face, like he was fascinated with what I was saying.

"We all _try_, Bella, and yes, it's very old. It has been passed down in my family. I try to go to church, but the only one who will go with me is Esme. Even those days are few and far between because of our conflicting work schedules. Perhaps we can go sometime, huh?"

He was treating me like an equal, and I didn't have the heart to tell him that it felt wrong for me to go to church. I tried going once, but it ended in disaster. At the time, I was also too paranoid that someone would recognize me. It felt like everyone that looked my way was judging me, which was ridiculous.

I simply smiled instead of answering him.

"I want you to ice those bruises as much as possible. I'll get you some arnica gel to apply to the affected areas. Your lip looks like it's healing nicely, but if you need something for the pain I suggest a little Tylenol. I don't think any ribs are broken, but they are definitely bruised. Again—Tylenol. Oh, and a warm bath wouldn't hurt. Try to limit your physical activity. No stretching, running, jumping…excessive shopping."

He gave a pointed look at his daughter. Why did I get the impression that shopping with Alice would be a nightmare?

Once he gave me the all clear, Alice hurried me down the stairs to meet her fiancé, Jasper, who was actually a pretty mellow guy. He held the front door open and ushered us to his black, classic muscle car that must have cost a pretty penny.

"Jasper's coming with us so he can carry our bags," Alice said while strapping her seat belt on.

There was no response from Jasper, just a lazy grin, so it had to be true.

Alice originally wanted to go shopping in Seattle since there wasn't a mall in Forks, their hometown, but I put the kibosh on those plans so she settled for Olympia. I still thought it was too close to Seattle.

We spent the three hours it took to get there talking and getting to know one another. He was in trade, whatever the hell that meant, and she was a professional shopper. She actually got paid to shop which, I guess, was the perfect job for her. I kind of wished I had my guard up a little better because of the nature of some of their questions, but I was too tired to care. If they decided to use the info I gave them against me, I'd deal with it later.

When we got there, I told her I had no interest in buying expensive clothes. I knew Esme was being generous, and I didn't want her to regret it. I should have chosen my words better because instead of focusing on cost she decided to focus on quantity. One thing I wouldn't budge on was the shoes.

"Bella, Chucks are great, but you need more variety in your shoe selection."

I looked at the hideous pair of heels she was holding and shook my head. "No, no heels, Alice."

"But every girl needs—"

"No!"

When a few people nearby stopped what they were doing to look our way, I realized I might have over reacted and lowered my voice. "I'm _never_ wearing heels again, Alice. This is a deal breaker, so just drop it."

I was lucky Jasper was there. He noticed how agitated I was becoming and whispered something in her ear, and she wisely put the shoes back.

"Of course, Bella. I didn't mean to push so hard," she said in a subdued voice.

After that she was a little more chill about everything, and we decided that it was getting late. Poor Jasper was almost overwhelmed with all the bags he was carrying. We were passing a small shop when something shiny in the display caught my eye. It was a cross necklace with multiple strands, some beaded in black, and I wanted it. I wasn't really sure why, but I knew it was meant to be mine.

Jasper noticed that I stopped and joined me in front of the store window.

"See somthin' you like, Miss Bella?" he asked.

I gave a weak smile and nodded to the necklace. "I like it, but I wouldn't want Esme to think I went crazy shopping today."

By then Alice had joined us and was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Bella, accessories are a vital part to any wardrobe," she said while dragging me into the shop. "Besides, it doesn't look to be too expensive, and I doubt anybody could be considered a crazy shopper next to me."

By the time we got home, it was time for supper, but I was too tired to eat dinner with the rest of them. I told Esme just as much when she came up to see if I was hungry. She tried to hide her disappointment and made me promise to have dinner with them the next night.

She seemed excited that Alice spent a good chunk of money on clothes that I picked out, which I didn't quite understand. She suggested I spend the week settling in and wished me pleasant dreams.

The next night, I went down to the dining room and saw that everyone was waiting for me. All of the guys stood up as I walked into the room and took the seat next to Carlisle, across from Esme.

"That's Edward's seat." This from a nasally-voiced blonde in the next seat.

"And Edward isn't here, Lauren," Esme gritted out. It was weird because I didn't think anybody could get on Esme's bad side. Apparently, Esme knew something about the girl that I should be cautious about.

"Yes, Bella you are perfectly fine sitting there," Carlisle said while placing his hand on Esme's clenched fist that lay between them. "I wanted to know how you're feeling."

I told him that I did everything he suggested and thanked him for caring for me. During the whole exchange, little sounds of annoyance were heard from Lauren. Carlisle continued without paying her any attention. Something told me it wasn't the first time he paid her no attention.

"Well, since you know almost everyone here, I wanted to introduce you to Emmett's wife, my daughter-in-law, Rosalie. Rose, this is Bella. The person sitting next to you is Lauren."

"I'm Edward's soon-to-be fiancée," Lauren said.

I must have missed the joke, but Alice found something funny in it because she let out a snort, while Esme merely rolled her eyes.

Rose quickly jumped in with, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella. I've heard so much about you."

I really didn't like the idea of them talking about me, but Rose must have sensed it because she continued. "Alice told me how much fun she had shopping with you. That is a cute necklace."

Everyone looked down over to see what Rose was talking about, and I struggled not to cover it with my hand.

"_You're_ wearing a cross? Oh, that's rich."

The sound of Emmett's chair scraping against to wood as he started to rise dragged my attention away from the bitch next to me. Rose moved quickly and grabbed his arm, and they began to argue in lowered voices.

I look around the table, and I noticed Emmett wasn't the only one who looked pissed. Jasper had his arm around Alice, and Carlisle was running a soothing hand up and down Esme's arm. I had no idea my choice in jewelry would offend people. Maybe it was me. Perhaps they felt _I_ wasn't fit to wear it, but both Alice and Jasper were there when I got it. Maybe they didn't see the tiny cross lost in all the beads. I guess Carlisle's reassurance wasn't enough, because Esme slammed her hand down on the table and spat out, "Remove yourself from my table."

I set my silverware down because I knew it was too good to be true. Of course, I would eventually do something to fuck it up. I tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to fall. Esme was probably furious that I spent her money in a distasteful way. Maybe she thought I was mocking her and her Carlisle's beliefs. Just as I was about to stand, I saw Lauren throw her napkin on her plate and shove away from the table.

"Fine! I've lost my appetite anyway," she sneered.

Both Rose and Emmett scooted down a seat while I worked out what had just happened. Rose reached in my lap and gently rubbed my hands that were clenched into fists, and with a soft smile said, "It looks great on you."

"Yeah, little Bella, don't listen to that bi—ouch! Woman, why did you kick me?" Emmett whined.

Rose sat there with a smirk on her face and simply said, "Language."

I guessed you didn't get punished for violence.

Things relaxed after Lauren left, and I realized I liked the Cullens. I was right the first night at the diner. Their table was full of laughter and good times, and I could tell they actually loved one another. For the first time in years, I felt like I belonged.

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A/N: Well, was it worth the wait? Leave me your thoughts.


	4. Rednecks 'n Wifebeaters

Thanks to LoriAnnTwiFan and KannnD/Kaydee1005 from Project Team Beta. The betas there are amazing, and my story shines because of their awesome work.

Sorry it took so long getting this chapter out. I'm working on this story while cleaning up earlier chapters as well as another story. Unlike the kick-ass betas, I can't clean a chapter in a week on top of the other stuff going on. So, I want to thank you for your patience and all the reviews you leave. You guys are awesome.

Are you ready to hear from Jasper?... *sigh*... I love Jasper.

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. *sigh* All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs to the correct artist it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

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_My skin is tan, my hair fine  
My hips invite you, my mouth like wine  
Whose little girl am I? Anyone who has money to buy  
What do they call me? My name is Sweet Thing  
My name is Sweet Thing _

"_Four Women" by Nina Simone_

**JPOV**

"Hey man, you alright?"

Edward just shrugged his shoulders, and I could tell he was far from alright.

"I just got to get out of here, Jasper. She's driving me crazy, and I need to get away."

Sunday breakfast had just ended, and he and I were the only two left in the kitchen. I knew he had his bags packed and waiting in the hall for a speedy getaway. I winced, thinking how borderline pathetic it was that he let his woman drive him out of his own home. I told him so on many occasions; usually, tequila was involved. It was during one of those drunken bouts that Edward finally confessed how much he truly despised Lauren.

When I asked him why he didn't just end things with the girl, he just took another shot and let me know how manipulative the bitch really was. It wasn't just the typical clinginess, although that was there too. He told me that the first time he tried to dump her, she convinced him she was pregnant. Even though he was going to end the relationship, he was pretty excited about being a daddy and wanted to tell the family. She told him he couldn't unless he put a ring on her finger and made an honest woman of her. Of course, he didn't want to be tied to her and thought he could wait her out. A month later, he found her crying on the bathroom floor saying she lost the baby.

When he felt like enough time had passed since her "miscarriage," he tried to leave her again. But, before he could get a word out, she told him about some sick family member he'd never heard of. _Supposedly,_ they were really close. How the hell was he supposed to kick a girl out who might have lost his baby and had an aunt with cancer? Edward wasn't an asshole, and he couldn't stand up to the nag.

"I heard you playing last night," I said.

Usually, on nights that he and Lauren had sex, he could be heard later at his Steinway, and the music wasn't pretty. The notes played were heavy with self-loathing and disgust, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he hated the things that happened in their bedroom. Once, when I was three sheets to the wind, I asked if the sex was as bad as it sounded, but he just shut down.

He just shrugged his effin' shoulders again, so I asked when he'd be back.

"I'll only be gone for a couple of days; probably be back sometime Tuesday night."

He used to take week-long trips, but Esme put a stop to that. She told him that there was no way she could be pleasant and hospitable to that, and I quote, "cow."

I saw him off and went up to mine and Alice's bedroom. I smiled at the sight that met me. Alice was fidgeting in front of the closet in nothing but her undies—a cute, little, black, lacy set—and I couldn't stop myself from going to her and wrapping her in my arms.

"What's got you so nervous, Peaches?"

She sighed and turned to face me before answering, "I don't know what to wear."

I couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out, and Alice smacked my arm and gave me a pout.

"It's not funny, Jazz."

"Well, what was wrong with what you were wearing earlier?"

She scrunched up her nose and asked, "You don't think it screamed _too designer_? I don't want her to think I'm unapproachable."

I gently placed a kiss on the side of her neck and whispered, "I find you very approachable."

And just like that, she danced out of my arms and started dressing in the clothes she had on before, leaving me alone with a strain in my pants. Wonderful.

After a cold shower, I was waiting downstairs while the girls were in Carlisle's office. While I reminded Alice that Emmett said the girl was pretty banged up, I wondered if shopping with Alice was a bright idea or not. I knew more than anybody that Alice could be excitable when on a shopping mission.

On the way there, I was surprised that Bella actually opened up to me and Alice. When my girl asked Bella if she called Esme because of the obvious beating she suffered, I was both ticked at Alice and perversely curious about what Bella might say.

"Yes and no," she answered while watching the landscape through the window. She was quiet for a spell, and Lord knows I didn't want to rush her if she wanted to explain.

"Demetri usually never beats me so badly. Mostly it's just a slap to the face or a hard yank to the hair. This was the second time he left me so banged up.

"One of his guys that takes me to meet johns decided to have a little fun with me, and when Demetri found out, he was furious. He said I cost him money, that the time I spent getting fucked by Felix could have been better spent. Not that I had a choice in the matter; Felix is a little bigger than Emmett, and fighting back only seems to excite him more."

I saw Alice biting her lower lip so that she wouldn't scream like I knew she wanted to, so I reached over and placed my hand in hers. It was disturbing to hear Bella talk about being raped like it was no big deal. Bella continued, and I wanted to tell her to stop. That would hardly be fair, so I kept my trap shut.

"The first time happened when I slipped away one morning and went to church. Half way through the service, Demetri slid in next to me. Instead of dragging me out then and there, he ruined the experience by whispering things in my ear like, 'Did you really think they would help you? They know what you are. They know you don't belong here.'

"After that first beating, I realized the men were rougher with me. One guy choked me and bit me everywhere, and it took a week for the teeth marks to fade. I call it my 'dinged car theory.' You know how, in the parking lot, no one really cares if they dent a car that looks like it's been through hell already? What's one more dent? One more bruise?"

"And you didn't want that to happen again," my girl guessed. Hell, I couldn't blame her. I wouldn't want that either.

"No, I didn't. When that guy choked me, I actually blacked out. And as much as my life sucks, I don't want to die like that—so they could get off."

By that point, Bella's voice had become hollow, and my sweet Alice was fighting back tears. I felt helpless and angry. Helpless because I not only wanted to comfort Alice, but I also wanted to hug the strong, fragile girl sitting in the back of my Mustang; however, I knew the last thing she need was another strange man putting his hands on her. It made me sad that she equated herself with a junker, and I was angry at the vile sons-of-bitches who violated and abused her.

I decided a change in conversation was in order, so I cleared my throat and asked Bella what plans she had.

"What do you mean?"

Alice and I exchanged looks. Was it possible that she didn't realize how much her life had changed in the past twelve hours?

Alice took the reins and said, "You have a whole new life, Bella. _You_ control your future. Don't you have any dreams? Didn't you want to _be_ something when you were little?"

"When I was little, I wanted to have my own cooking show," she said with a tiny smile on her face. "I thought it was so cool that they could put something in the oven then pull it out freshly baked after only a couple of seconds."

To say the trip to the mall was stressful would be an understatement. I wasn't expecting all the glares I got from the other shoppers, quiet accusations of me being the reason for Bella's appearance. One lady even called me out on it.

When Bella came out of the dressing room looking for Alice, I told her, "She stepped out real quick to do a little side shopping. Don't worry, Bella. She'll be right back, and I'll be here the whole time."

She gave me a timid smile and went back to her changing room when I felt a sharp nudge to my shoulder. I turned and stared down at a tiny bit of a woman with graying hair and a scowl on her face.

"You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Ma'am?"

"Does it make you feel like a real man to beat on girls like her?"

"Ma'am, I think you got the wrong impression."

She narrowed her beady eyes and said, "Oh, I think I got it right. Listen here you redneck piece of shit, I don't know what hick town you came from, but you are not welcomed here."

Alice found me dumbfounded a few minutes later and started showing me the cookbooks she bought for Bella, but I couldn't be excited like she wanted me to be. My southern roots had never before been thrown back in my face as an insult. On the contrary, my accent got quite a few women to swoon, much to Alice's chagrin. I pride myself on my upbringing and the manners my momma instilled in me, so of course it pissed me off that people accused me of being the monster that did that to Bella.

Alice must have realized something happened while she was away, or caught onto the looks I was getting, because she clung to my arm and didn't leave again. Shopping went smoothly after that; the only time Bella was obviously upset was when Alice was trying to get her into a pair of heels. I had to quietly remind my girl that Bella's experience wearing heels was not the same as hers, and that Esme told us to let her pick out her own things.

Dinner that night was quiet. While Esme went up to check on Bella, Lauren dug right into her food, refusing to wait for "that girl."

"And what about my wife? You're not going to wait for her either?" Carlisle asked coldly.

Lauren set her fork down.

When Esme came back to the table, the family started talking about plans for Bella.

"How did she look this morning, Carlisle?"

"She has some bruised ribs, but I would feel better if I had some x-rays done of them. And judging by the injuries to her mouth and jaw, I think it's safe to say she has some loose teeth, so a visit to the dentist would be a good idea."

Esme stewed it over for a bit then said, "Okay, I'll see if I can get her to go to the hospital. This week, I want to schedule her for the dentist, therapist, and gynecologist."

Lauren's fork clattered to her plate as she said, "I hardly think this is appropriate dinner conversation."

Mom's eyes narrowed, and she turned to Alice and me and asked how today went.

"We found out a little about her past—"

Alice's sharp elbow stopped me from saying more.

"Yeah, but like Lauren said, it's better to discuss it later."

The next day, Alice showed Bella how to work the TV, and I had to smile when I got home from work and heard the Food Network on. It seemed my Peaches was trying to give Bella a nudge in the right direction. I wondered if Alice gave her the cookbooks or if they were meant to be a gift later.

That night, Bella had dinner with us, and it was nerve-racking until Esme had the sense to boot Lauren out. But the third night…The third night is when things got mighty interesting.

Alice and I decided to change seats so Bella could sit at the end of the table across from Emmett without feeling surrounded by men. I knew Edward would be coming home sometime that night, and ten minutes into the meal, we heard the front door open and close. He took his seat to the right of Carlisle and immediately noticed the new addition to our dinner party.

Carlisle was making introductions, but, before either Edward or Bella could say hello, Lauren interrupted with her nagging—complaining that he was gone too long and such. I don't think he felt it was too long. On the contrary, if I knew Edward, he was wishing he stayed gone a little longer.

Throughout the meal, Edward kept sneaking glances at Bella, and I wasn't the only one who noticed. Alice was practically buzzing with excitement at what it could mean, and I knew we weren't alone in our observations.

Carlisle cleared his throat and asked Bella if she would like to go to church with him that Sunday. I gritted my teeth at the sound of Lauren's laugh.

"You can't be serious?"

Bella's face instantly fell at her words. If only I _was_ a white trash redneck! I knew Bella was reminded of what that asshole Demetri told her, and it killed me that the same kind of vitriol was being thrown around in the Cullen household.

"How do you spend _your_ Sundays, Lauren?" Edward asked. "You spend them at the spa on _my_ dime. And the only thing you worship is Dolce & Gabbana or whatever the hell you find fashionable and trendy."

Lauren wasn't used to him talking back, hell none of us were, so I guessed in her mind if she did not acknowledge it, it never happened. She did shoot Bella a glare, then after staying quiet for about ten minutes, interrupted Emmett mid-joke and started a whole new conversation with my Alice.

"Alice, I need to go to the mall this week. Do you want to come with?"

"Not really, Lauren."

I smirked at Alice's response, and quite a few stifled laughs were heard. Alice never, I repeat _never,_ turned down a chance to swipe that black AmEx she carried. Woman was off her rocker if she thought she could play friends with my girl.

"Oh, so you'll go shopping with _her_, but not with me?" Lauren snapped.

My sweet Alice just quirked her brow as if to say, "Yeah. Got a problem with that?"

Lauren was clearly pissed off and turned to Bella. "So, Bella, what did you buy?"

Poor Bella looked like a deer in headlights. She cleared her throat and said, "A few tees, jeans, shoes, underwear." She mumbled the last word, and we all saw the blush rising to her cheeks.

I thought I heard a groan coming from Edward. I must have not been the only one because Lauren's eyes snapped in his direction. Bella, bless her heart, continued, unaware of the hornets' nest that her panties comment had stirred.

"My necklace, and some um…jackets and sweaters. And this dress and another."

Edward just pushed his food around on his plate while Lauren's eyes kept darting back and forth between him and Bella. Finally, they settled on Bella, and I could just feel Alice's hackles rise as Lauren gave Bella the once over. I looked over to Bella and saw that she was wearing a black dress with tiny white polka dots and a white sweater. I also noticed one of the girls had given her some make-up because her bruises didn't look as bad as they had before. Overall, I thought she looked cute. At least that's what Alice had said, and I tended to agree with her.

Lauren tilted her head and said, "It's a nice dress, but I would have figured you'd get one in a muddy brown color instead…You know, to match your eyes. Maybe a sun hat to go with it."

For some reason, this riled up the Cullen women. I personally couldn't see why anyone would need a sun hat in Forks.

Alice seethed, "Why you—"

"Chocolate," Edward cut in while I managed to restrain Peaches.

"What's that, baby?" Lauren cooed. It was freaky how she could flip a switch from bitch to sugary sweet.

"Her eyes are the color of chocolate," Edward said through clenched teeth.

He stood, grabbed Lauren by the arm, and nearly dragged her from the room while muttering an apology for having to leave the table.

"Is she going to be okay with him?"

Everyone at the table looked at Bella like she was crazy as all get out. Personally, I couldn't see why she should give two licks about Lauren, but then again I sometimes didn't understand the fairer sex.

Esme was quick to soothe her and said, "Sure, she will. In fact, Carlisle will check on them right now."

While Carlisle stepped out of the room, I asked Bella, "Did I hear the Food Network on today?"

She just ducked her head down and said, "Yeah, I was watching the Neelys; they make cooking look fun."

"You know, Bella, we have a big kitchen that you can have fun in if you want," Rose said.

It was true. I loved Esme and all, but if I have to eat another meatloaf, I might scream.

Emmett dropped his fork, leaned across the table, and asked in a serious tone, "Can you bake a pie?"

For whatever reason, Bella found this extremely hilarious and was soon clutching her side and wincing in pain. Carlisle, who made it back to the table, shot an annoyed look at Emmett. I knew her ribs were in poor shape, but at the time, all I could think about was that it was the first time I heard Bella laugh.

That night Peaches, was restless, and I woke up to the bed shaking. I dragged Alice's sobbing body to me and tried to calm her down, but all I heard from her was, "Fucking Julia Roberts."

What in the blue blazes does Julia Roberts have to do with anything?I didn't think I'd ever understand women.

After I settled her down, I decided to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. As soon as I hit the staircase, I realized that Edward was up. But this night was different than others; the music coming from his Steinway had changed.


	5. Her Place

A/N: Thanks to the betas from Project Team Beta for helping me with this chapter. Tense was a nightmare, so thanks BellaDean and ChloeCougar! Also thanks to the amazing Zoey Rowan for pre-reading this.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight nor do I own the lyrics posted.  
_

* * *

_My bad dreams just don't seem the same  
Baby without you  
I wish you were willing to accept the blame  
Yeah, for all the shitty things you do_

_Nightmares just don't scare me now_  
_Baby without you_  
_I wish that I could find the words to tell_  
_You to politely go fuck yourself_  
_Yeah, now that it's over..._

_"Now That It's Over" by Everclear_

**EPOV**

I was dragging Lauren up the stairs when Carlisle's voice stopped me in my tracks. "Bella is concerned about the way you left."

Who was I kidding? It was the sound of her name alone that stopped me.

Carlisle continued, his eyes locked onto my hand, wrapped around Lauren's arm. "I think she's worried you might hurt Lauren in your anger."

_Fuck._

I hadn't said one word to Bella, and I was already scaring her with my actions. Dragging Lauren away from rooms my family members were in happened more frequently than not; she just had a way of pissing them off. I didn't think of how it would look to Bella.

"You can tell that skank that I can handle myself and my man just fine!" Lauren spat, pulling me out of my thoughts. Bella was worried about Lauren's safety, and Lauren _still_ continued to insult her in front of Carlisle.

Even though Lauren was a total bitch, it rarely affected my father. I always assumed that he just tuned her out completely. I had never seen the look of pure anger on his face before. His jaw was clenched tight, and there was a vein pulsing on his forehead. His entire body shook and his face turned an unhealthy shade of red. I gave him a quick nod, to let him know I would fix things with Bella later, and rushed Lauren to our room before she could make things worse for herself.

"What is your problem, Edward? That little bitch has been causing problems since she got here, and I am disgusted with the way everybody kisses her ass," Lauren whined, jerking her arm out of my grasp.

We made it into the bedroom, and by then I was fed up with her. I roughly shoved her into the bedroom door, my fingers digging into her upper arms as I leaned forward and hissed, "Shut your mouth. I'm so sick of the sound of your voice."

I looked into her eyes expecting to see fear—or at the very least—shock. Her pupils were dilated, and her fake tits were heaving as she rubbed her thighs together. I fucking knew I shouldn't have brought her up here.

Lauren groaned and reached for my dick which was still semi-hard thanks to dinner. "God, Eddie. I love it when you get rough with me."

I ripped her hand away from my cock and dragged her body toward mine. "I'm serious, Lauren. You can't go mouthing off to my parents or upsetting my family. You're very close to getting your ass thrown out. You need to remember your place in this house."

"Why don't you remind me where that place might be? Is it under you?"she asked, while rubbing her body against mine. "Come on, Eddie. Put me in my place."

It was tempting, but something about her that night wasn't doing it for me, and I felt my erection dying. Of course, Lauren reached for me then and gave me a look of confusion, which quickly turned to anger.

"Is this about _her_?"

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I saw the way you were staring at _Bella_ during dinner. A week ago you would have been rock hard by now and ready to pound into me."

She saw that I wasn't going to answer but continued anyway. It wasn't like Lauren actually needed another person to have a conversation. I was still holding her close to me, mindful of the precarious position my dick would be in if I started sporting wood; especially if she took the conversation where I thought she would.

"So, now that you have a real whore here, you think that you can just get rid of me? Tell me, is it because you think she knows more about pleasing men? Why would you want _her_ when you could have your own personal whore here?" She started stroking me through my jeans and whispered, "Or is it her chocolate-colored eyes that you're drawn to, Eddie?"

Just thinking about those deep pools of chocolate and that adorable blush while being stroked triggered my arousal—goddamn traitor. "Fine, that's how you want it? But I control this, not you; and don't fucking call me Eddie."

I hauled her over to the bed and threw her down face first. She was rubbing herself through her tight jeans like a bitch in heat. Ripping off my tie, I straddled her legs and quickly snatched the hand she was using to get herself off, along with the one supporting her weight, and tied her hands behind her back. This was a punishment of sorts, and I didn't want her getting pleasure from this. Of course, it was a stupid idea because Lauren craved rough sex. That was the _only_ kind of sex we had anymore. The more depraved and degrading, the better it was for her.

I unbuttoned her jeans and peeled them from her legs. Leaving her on the bed, I walked over to the desk and got a pair of scissors from one of the drawers. I straddled her body again and started snipping off pieces of her clothes.

"What the fuck, Edward! You just destroyed a Fendi blou—"

I shoved part of the blouse into her mouth and basked in the silence. I dropped the scissors by the side of the bed and quickly unzipped my pants. The trick was to not think about what was happening, and just feel it. I didn't want to dwell on the fact that I couldn't make love to her, because the truth was I hated Lauren.

I propped a pillow under her hips and slid my hard shaft along her wet lips. I then angled my hips upward, separated her cheeks, and slowly slid into her tight ass. She grunted and her body trembled beneath me as I struggled to catch my own breath. I never took her vaginally anymore; not since her "pregnancy."

I leaned down, took her earlobe between my teeth, and gave her a sharp nip before whispering in her ear, "Hold on tight, slut."

She moaned and rocked her ass into my hips when I straightened up. I stopped her movements by holding her hips in place and began slamming into her. I took all my anger out on her, and she loved it, which in turn only made me angrier. I fisted her hair in one hand and jerked her head back.

"This is your place, bitch. From now on, if my cock isn't in your mouth, I want you gagged. I don't want to hear your voice when I use you to get off. I don't care if you cum," I panted out. My hips were going at a furious speed. "You want to be…my own personal…whore?"

She tried nodding her head, but my grip on her hair was too tight.

"You already…fucking are, Lauren," I hissed. "You take my money…and I take…your mouth and ass. I will _never_ fuck Bella…the way I fuck you," I vowed. She groaned and tried to meet my thrusts, somehow encouraged by my words.

I grunted with each push, and after a few minutes of brutally pounding into her, I noticed I was actually starting to loose my hard on. I clenched my eyes shut as I worked the buttons of my shirt open, never slowing pace. As I chucked the shirt off, I frantically searched my mind for something stimulating.

Panties.

Cute little panties.

I cracked my eyes open and watched as Lauren's corn-silk hair turned a beautiful mahogany, and the orange tan of her skin faded into magnificent porcelain. My hips slowed their movement, and I looked at her bound wrists in confusion. What the fuck was wrong with me?

I scrambled to untie them, and I cradled her in my arms as I gently rocked into her body. I reverently placed open-mouthed kisses on her shoulder and groaned my pleasure when I finally felt her body shake with the force of her orgasm. I brought her body closer to my own and soon followed.

CcCcC

After a shower, I went down to play my piano. It was becoming a ritual—wash the filth from my body then transfer all my frustrations and disgust over my actions into my music.

I thought back to how Lauren and I first started experimenting with sex. Costumes, role-play, sex in public—it felt like we had tried it all, but then Lauren had asked me to tie her up. I was okay with it at first; bondage kind of interested me. Then, she had wanted me to pull her hair, choke her, slap her, and spit in her face. She wanted me to treat her how I was told never to treat a lady. Even though Lauren was far from being a lady, I still had issues with doing it.

As I played, I went over all the reprehensible things she asked me to do to her in the past, and I wondered why she needed it.

However, something had changed tonight. When I'd finished, she started crying. At first, I'd thought I'd gone too far or had been too rough. Anal was something that was a favorite of Lauren's, and I had never torn her.

"Did I hurt you?" I had asked.

She had sniffled and croaked out, "You've never made love to me before. I'm just happy right now."

I hadn't responded; I'd just washed up and left her in bed. How the hell did she think butt fucking was lovemaking? I envied the members of my family. They all had healthy normal relationships. All I had with Lauren were hatefucks and our different definitions of love.

I was tired of it. I was tired of _her_.

I wanted someone I could respect, a woman who wouldn't mind if I took my time worshipping her body. I wanted someone I could hold all night and not feel repulsed by after our passion. I knew I sounded like a chick, but after months with Lauren, I wanted someone I could make love to.

I re-played dinner in my mind. My brief time with an angel.

When I'd taken my seat, I had noticed Jasper was sitting next to Esme while my sister was sitting next to a pretty brunette. Beautiful brown eyes and plump pink lips. I could see a little bruising around her left eye and that her lip had been split. I had known instantly she was the girl my mother had brought home, but I couldn't reconcile that the angel across the table had been a prostitute.

Carlisle had said, "Ah, Edward, you're back. I want you to meet Bella."

Her name was Bella. Fitting really.

Just as I'd been about to say hello to the brown-eyed beauty, Lauren had jumped right in with her nagging. "Edward, I missed you. You were gone too long."

She'd shown me exactly what she missed by slipping her hand into my lap to stroke me. I couldn't believe there was actually a time when that had excited me. She had given me a hard squeeze when she'd realized I was soft. _Like abusing my dick would get me hard?_ I had gritted my teeth and ripped her hand off me.

Throughout dinner, I had noticed how my family interacted with Bella. Plain and simply put, they loved her. Dinner had been different with her there. Emmett had had someone who smiled at his ridiculous antics. Bella had met Jasper's wit; had provided new input to Carlisle's random ponderings; and had endured Esme's nurturing, Alice's excitement, and Rosalie's sarcasm. She had fit in perfectly with them, and I had been both curious and excited to see how we would mesh. I knew she would fascinate me. She was nothing I had expected—shy, demure and extremely considerate.

During the two days that I was away, Lauren had left me twenty-four texts and eight voicemails. Almost half were about the ugly new girl and how much Lauren despised her. Nothing about Bella had been "trashy," "slutty," or "disrespectful" like Lauren claimed.

Carlisle had asked Bella about going to church, which had surprised me. I hadn't known he still went, and I wondered how she viewed religion or if it was a welcomed topic. Before she could answer, Lauren had to open her big mouth and mock her.

My blood had began to boil in anger as I saw the hurt in Bella's eyes at Lauren's callous words, and I couldn't stop from shutting her up. She seemed to be the only one who had a problem with Bella. After her outburst, I'd clearly seen the line my family had drawn between Lauren and themselves. Jasper, who was the most laid-back guy I knew, had looked like he was about to throttle her, and he hadn't been the only one.

Lauren had tried to "apologize" by placing her hand back in my lap. Nope, still soft.

It had been sad, but I'd completely forgotten about her hand when I'd heard Bella's husky chuckle at the other end of the table. It'd fucking oozed sex appeal, and I felt a stirring in my pants. Out of the corner of my eye, I'd seen the smirk Lauren had given me. The moron had actually thought she had been the one having an effect on me.

"Okay, Belly Bear. I got another one," Emmett boomed. "A duck walks into a bar and asks the bartender, 'Got any grapes?' The bartender says, 'No. Now get the hell outta here.' The next day, the duck returns and asks the bartender, 'Got any grapes?' The bartender says, 'No— "

"Alice, I need to go to the mall this week. Do you want to come with?"

I'd had to remember that my dick was in danger had I laughed, like I'd wanted to, when I'd heard my sister's answer. I'd never thought I would see the day when Alice Cullen said no to shopping. Lauren had turned her attention to Bella, and I'd been interested in how her shopping experience with the mad pixie went.

I'd been amazed that Bella could mention everything she bought without saying the name of a single designer. A blush had risen to her cheeks as she whispered about her underwear, and despite Lauren's attempts throughout dinner, I'd felt my body respond once again to the girl at the end of the table. I had wondered what kind of panties she bought. Images of Bella in black lace and ruffles had flashed thought my mind. Perhaps she kept it simple with tiny, white, cotton ones. She looked so innocent with that beautiful blush, entirely too tempting. I'd groaned at the sight of it and rocked into the hand on my junk. I'd felt Lauren's grip tighten as her head whipped in my direction. That had been the moment when she knew.

She knew Bella had my attention.

I realized my fingers were not hurting from pounding away at the keys like they normally did. The notes were a swell of confusion and eagerness that I couldn't explain. Just as I built to a crescendo, I came to a halt because, for the first time in a long time, I didn't know what was coming next.

CcCcC

That week, all the members of my family shuffled their schedules to get Bella to her different appointments. Jasper went in half days and my father traded shifts. Mom and Rosalie worked frantically to make sure someone else was at the center to pick up the slack, and Alice deferred all of her clients to an associate. My sister was stuck to Bella's side every time I saw her. At first Bella looked uncomfortable with someone constantly around, but after a couple of days she began to accept the attention.

Esme's constant badgering, she finally convinced Bella to go to the hospital to get x-rays of her ribs. Jasper and Alice tagged along and when they got back there was tension between the four of them. Bella quickly fled to her room, and Jasper had a scowl on his face as he stormed out of the house. Surprisingly, Alice stayed behind. I wondered what in hell had happened.

It was a rare thing to see them fight, so I asked Alice if everything was well. Apparently, they had decided to do extensive x-rays and found evidence of prior abuse, which pissed Jasper off. She told me, when Jasper found out the extent of Bella's beatings he urged her to press charges.

"So, is she going to the cops?"

My sister shook her head and looked down at the floor. It was weird seeing Alice in such a somber mood.

"Aren't you upset too?" I asked her.

"Of course I am. But this wasn't the first time for me to see what they did to her."

I shook my head, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

"Wait, you mean Jasper saw her bruises?"

For some reason, I wasn't too happy knowing he saw Bella without clothes on. Alice rolled her eyes.

"No, dummy. He saw the x-rays."

_How many years was she with the scumbag? And why was she protecting him?_

"No, Edward," was Esme's sharp response.

I'd forgotten my mother was still there, and said, "I didn't say anything."

"No, but I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why any woman would stay in that kind of environment for that long, and why she feels the need to protect him."

The soft features of Esme's face had developed a certain harshness as she continued. "She's not protecting him, she's protecting herself. It took a lot of courage to do what she did. If the doctor was right, she was abused for years. To be able to not only survive, but get away, is almost unheard of. I won't let you take that away from her by thinking she should be stronger."

She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I don't mean to sound so harsh. It's just that sometimes fear has a way of crippling people. Leaving is easier said than done. I wish more women could be as brave as Bella. Do you have _any_ idea how scared she was? All she had were the clothes on her back, some pocket-change, and my card. Yet she managed to go against someone who had threatened her life repeatedly.

"Now, I have to go to the center, but I need the two of you to take Bella for her psyche evaluation with Dr. Felsley. I would appreciate it if you let Bella take things at her own pace. She's earned it, and if she feels safer leaving the cops out of it, then we will respect that."

She left me there feeling both ashamed of my thoughts and in awe of Bella. I felt a tug at my sleeve and turned to face Alice.

"I want to go call Jasper before we leave, so he knows where I am."

I nodded my head and she went to the next room to make her call. My head snapped to a sound from above me. Bella was sitting at the top of the stairs, arms wrapped around her legs.

"I didn't mean to make Jasper so angry," she said in a tiny voice.

I joined her on the step and said, "He's not mad at you."

She arched a beautiful brow that had me chuckling.

"Okay, so he is mad. But he's not angry with you. He's angry because the people who hurt you won't be punished. You know he's from Texas? They actually _use_ the death penalty there."

She gave me a small smile, and I was one happy fucker because _I_ was the reason for that smile.

"Do you feel up to seeing Dr. Felsley today? We can always reschedule," I asked.

She shook her head and said, "No, I want to get it over with."

CcCcC

After her visit with Dr. Felsley, and a quiet ride home, Bella told us she wanted to try cooking dinner for the family. Of course I heard shit from Lauren about it.

"I'm not eating the food she prepares."

We were arguing in my father's office because it was the closest room with a door. I didn't want Bella to overhear anything Lauren might say. She had toned down the attitude but I knew it was only a matter of time before the bitch in her reemerged.

"Why not? Is there a difference between the food she makes and the food my mother makes?"

Since it was Carlisle's office and he was sitting behind his desk, he watched the whole exchange. I knew I should have felt bad about busting into his room, but I could only focus on the asinine bullshit Lauren was spouting.

"She could cut herself with a kitchen knife and contaminate our food with AIDS or whatever STD she might have. It's disgusting. I'm not going to risk catching something from her because she wants to take up a new hobby. It was her last pastime that started—"

Carlisle quickly jumped into the conversation. "Actually Lauren, I just got her lab results back and she's clean. I see no reason why she's not fit to prepare our dinner."

Lauren huffed, turned to me, and whined. "Edwaaard."

"Lauren, if you don't want to eat here, that's fine. Nobody's stopping you if you want to leave."

Yep. Judging by her posture and the death glare she gave me, she was definitely pissed.

CcCcC

Bella made baked ziti. Fucking delicious, cheesy baked ziti. Esme was ecstatic that Bella felt at home with us and was trying to find her place in the family. It had been a long time since I last saw Esme so happy; she was practically beaming.

Carlisle brought out a great 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon, and everybody at the table was enjoying the evening and the meal Bella had prepared for us. Well, almost everybody.

Lauren kept doing that annoying huffing thing and complained that the food had too many calories.

"Well, I think it's perfect, Bella," Rose said. "But I like to cover mine with an obscene amount of parmesan cheese. Could you pass it back over this way?"

Bella leaned forward to place the canister in front of Rose, but she somehow managed to collide with a wine glass. That son of a bitch fell in slow motion and spilled red wine into Lauren's lap, onto one of her latest purchases.

"You did that on purpose!"

Bella tried to offer Lauren her napkin while sputtering an apology. "I-I'm sorry. I'll replace your white dress—"

Lauren barked a humorless laugh, and said, "This is Herve Leger. Do you know how much time you'd have to spend on your back to be able to replace this?"

It was like the air got sucked out of the room; like the eerie calm before the storm. Before anybody could comprehend that Lauren had thrown down the gauntlet, Bella shot back.

"Bite me, Lauren. Do you actually believe I give a flying fuck what you think about me? That I somehow crave your good opinion? But I admit, your ignorance is irritating, so I'll throw your ass a bone. The only money I ever took, I used to buy clothes that didn't scream hooker, and on cab fare to get away from the asshole who did this to my face." She gestured to her fading bruises. "You don't know me. Who the hell are you to judge me?"

Bella stood swiftly and left the room, but not before throwing her napkin in Lauren's face. Every jaw in that room was on the floor, and I heard Emmett say, "Damn. I didn't know she had that in her."

Of all the unexpected things to happen during a Cullen dinner, I hadn't anticipated my sister launching herself across the table. She tackled Lauren to the ground, screaming profanities and pulling her hair. I was unsure of what to do, so I looked to Jasper to see if he would make any attempts to restrain Alice. That motherfucker just looked on with pride in his eyes. Luckily Emmett jumped into the mess, and I rushed to help separate the two.

My entire family cleared out the room, leaving me alone with Lauren. Once I heard the front door slam, I headed to the garage with Lauren on my heels.

"Can you believe the way that bitch spoke to me, Edward?"

Instead of answering, I gathered some boxes and trash bags and made my way up to the bedroom. I walked into the closet and transferred all her clothes to the bags.

"Edward, what are you doing?"

I thought it was pretty fucking apparent and decided I was through with words. When I finished with her clothes and shoes, I went around the room and began chucking the rest of her shit into the boxes.

"Is this about what happened with Alice? I'm okay now, and I know I didn't hurt her…Why aren't you talking to me, Eddie?"

She tried to grab my arm to stop my movements, but I just shook her off. I walked over to her purse, found her keys, and removed the house key she had. By then she was shrieking at me, crying, and begging me not to do something I should have done months ago.

It took a few trips to get all the baggage out the front door, including Lauren herself, but I finally did it.

"Edward, we can fix this. We can fix us."

I looked her in the eyes, and for a brief moment saw hope flicker there. I replied by slamming the door in her face.

* * *

A/N: On of my betas made the comment that what happened between Edward and Lauren felt a lot like rape. It wasn't. It was hate sex (at least on his part) but he did not force himself on her. I wouldn't call it a lemon, because it wasn't meant to be sexy.


	6. Book of Bella

From here on out, the chapter has yet to be beta-ed. LOL… if It bothers anybody to the extent that they would like the job, feel free to let me know! This chapter is a little heavy on the religious aspect of the story, so brace yourself if it's not your cup of tea.

Visuals: **http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/sunday_best/set?id=23970458**

* * *

_Well you know how it looks  
When you pull all your books from the table  
And you stare into space  
Trying to discern what to say now  
And you wait at the light  
And watch for a sign that you're breathing  
'Cause you can't just live on air  
And float to the ceiling_

_Who's gonna answer profanity prayers?_  
_Who's gonna answer profanity prayers?_

_"Profanity Prayers" by Beck_

**BPOV**

I sat in my empty bathtub and focused on the sounds of my shallow breathing and the hollow echoes of the open space. The only light in the room was the moonlight that streamed through the window behind me. I tried to follow Dr. "Just-call-me Carmen" Felsley's earlier advice, and counted slowly to ten. I wiggled around to get more comfortable, and my sneaker squeaked against the cool siding of the tub. I sighed and debated on whether or not I should strip and start the water.

My psych evaluation went as I thought it would go. First was the question on how I was fitting in. I told her I got along with mostly everybody. Next, she asked what I was planning on doing with my new future. She didn't look surprise when I told her I hadn't given it much thought. So naturally, because I had no future planned, she asked if I ever thought of hurting myself. I rolled my eyes and told her if I was planning on ending everything, I probably would have done it when my life truly sucked. I guess just because a person has a degree, it doesn't mean they have the kind of smarts that matter. When she asked about my family, I shut her down quickly. I didn't tell her about them or what had happened.

She tilted her head to the side and suggested we return to that topic on another visit. When she got no response from me, she moved on to coping techniques. The same coping mechanisms I was trying to employ.

Dinner was a disaster. One of Carmen's suggestions of working through my feelings was by getting back in the kitchen. I had decided after my appointment, to cook something easy and that I was familiar with. Everyone was enjoying themselves until Lauren's winning personality came out to shine.

The last thing I wanted was the Cullens to see me as a whore. And that bitch had to throw my past in my face. My hands shook and I fought to control my anger. Just-call-me Carmen's techniques weren't working. A soft knock on the door had me jerking my head in the direction of the intruder in my sanctuary.

"Bella, is everything alright?" Esme's voice rang out through the open bathroom.

"Yeah, Esme. I'm sorry about what happened downstairs."

She sat on the edge of the tub and said, "Bella, you went out of your way to make us a delicious meal, and that sorry excuse for a woman ruined everything. _She_ ruined everything, not you."

She climbed over the edge and sat in the space next to me. She took my hand in her small delicate one, and said, "Bella, it's important that I say this."

I took a deep breath and hoped she didn't change her mind about letting me stay there with them. The thought that they no longer wanted me, tore through my heart.

"Nobody in this family shares her small-minded opinions. I think she was jealous of you," she explained.

I shook my head trying to make sense of the craziness she spouted. Esme saw the look of confusion on my face and decided to fill me in on the joke.

"Don't you see, Bella? You managed to do something she's been trying for months to accomplish."

"What?"

She smiled and said, "Become one of us."

She convinced me to go out to finish dinner with her at a local pizza parlor called Sal's. We made it downstairs where we saw Jasper trying to calm a very agitated Alice. I wondered what caused her to look so angry and Jasper so freaking happy. He was trying to hide the smile on his face, but didn't have very much luck doing it. As soon as she saw me, Alice hurled her tiny body into mine for a freakishly strong hug. I wasn't used to all the constant hugging the girl liked to do, but managed a small pat on her back.

"Since I didn't get to finish my wonderful meal, I was telling Bella we should go to Sal's," said Esme.

"Did somebody say Sal's?" Emmett asked as Rose trailed behind him.

She looked like she had been crying. Even with her eyes puffy and red, she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She gave me a small smile and tucked herself into her husband's side.

The only two who didn't join us were Lauren and Edward. Not that that surprised me. Lauren had been marking him all week whenever I went into a room the two were in. She would sneer at me and sit in his lap or play with his hair. I sighed thinking of his beautiful bronze, unruly hair. What girl wouldn't want to run their fingers through it? Of course he sided with his beautiful girlfriend.

Lauren marking her territory reminded of Heidi's claim on Demetri. It sickened me, because for all Heidi's efforts it never stopped _him_ from using me when she was gone. Edward was probably no different. He didn't even acknowledge Lauren's claim on him by returning the gesture, and sometimes I would catch him staring at me. Not in the creepy way that Demetri did, but in ways that lead Lauren to scowl in my direction.

Lauren had nothing to worry about. I suppose he was attractive with that chiseled jaw and piercing green eyes. What put me off was the fact that he had a girlfriend. I, more than anybody, knew that men strayed from their girlfriends and tried to steer clear from the two of them. I was relieved that they wouldn't be joining us.

"Bella?"

Jasper's warm southern voice ripped me from my thoughts on the dangers of Edward Cullen. We were walking toward the Escalade and I nodded my head to let him know I was listening.

"I just wanted to apologize for actin' like a brat earlier today. I had no right in pushing you to do something you didn't want to do," he said while Alice wrapped her arms around his waist, "I'm sorry, Bella. I know you're scared, truth is I am too."

"Don't worry about it, Jasper," I said with a shrug.

I didn't understand why my refusal to go to the cops bothered him so much. He smiled and held the car door open so Alice and I could hop it. After I bucked in, I cleared my throat before asking the question that had been plaguing my mind.

"I heard a loud commotion when I left the dinning room. What happened?"

Emmett howled in laughter, and said, "Bella, you should have seen it! As soon as you left, Alice flew across the table and tackled that bitch to the ground."

"Emmett Dale McCarty Cullen."

Yep, Esme full-named him.

"What? Are you saying she's not a bitch?"

Poor Esme sat in the front passenger seat, and tried to form a coherent sentence but failed miserably. Everybody in the Escalade erupted in laughter. Carlisle reached over and gave her a pat on the hand.

Emmett continued, "It took everyone a good five minutes to realize what the hell was going on; and another ten for me and Edward to pull the little pixie off."

I turned to Jasper, and asked, "Why didn't you help?"

Jasper gave me a sly smile and said, "I thought Alice was doing a great job without me."

We laughed the whole way to Sal's.

* * *

I woke up Sunday at five in the morning. It annoyed me that I couldn't shut my brain down and enjoy another hour and forty-five minutes of sleep, but I was anxious.

Friday night at Sal's, Carlisle invited me, once again, to join him for Sunday service. When he saw that I didn't know what to say, he just told me if I wasn't downstairs at seven thirty, he would assume I wanted to sleep in.

I dragged myself out of bed and to my bathroom to start my morning ritual. After I brushed my teeth, I looked to my tub and decided I had enough time for a soak. As I let the warm water relax my muscles, different scenarios went through my head of what would happen. But as soon as the more outlandish ones of being physically thrown out filtered in, I yanked the stopper from the drain and stepped out of the tub.

I stood in front of my closet, trying to decide what to wear. Thirty minutes later I still had no luck.

I liked the grey one. However, the only top that went with it had spaghetti straps. Was I ready for spaghetti straps? Bra—you could see the fucking bra straps. I ripped the top off and searched for another. Perhaps a blue one would work.

Fucking hell, the blue one looked stupid with the grey skirt. The material hung in a funny way around the scrunched material of the skirt. I traded the skirt I was wearing, for a long chocolate brown one. I still looked stupid. Maybe I should start over.

I picked an entirely new outfit. It was a soft green top with a print skirt. The skirt was okay, but the top was cut too low. I self-consciously pulled the neck higher, trying to cover most of my exposed chest. Cleavage in church was bad, right? I sighed in frustration. I looked cheap, gaudy.

Okay, fuck the skirt and top combo.

I ripped both the shirt and the skirt off, dropping them to the ground as I made my way back to the closet. It was taunting me with all of those clothes and nothing to goddamn wear. I grabbed the first dress I saw and slid it on. I had trouble getting the blasted zipper up. Once everything was in place, I headed out of the closet, and made my way to the standing mirror waiting in the bedroom.

On the way over, my big toe caught on the dresser and I yelped in pain. A string of profanities rushed out of my mouth through clenched teeth, as I hopped around in a dress with no straps. I had ditched my bra, and when I realized there was a reason for the breeze I felt, I quickly tucked the girls in and shot the dresser a glare.

It wasn't right. The poor bastard had most of the drawers sticking out with random articles of clothing trickling over the edges. It looked like a tornado hit it.

I turned my attention to the girl in the mirror. She was wearing a pretty purple dress, was barefoot and her bruises were nearly faded.

Yes, it was pretty, but was it _too_ pretty? Did I look like I was trying too hard? Would they be able to tell I didn't belong there? What if it was a laidback kind of place and I was overdressed? I should have asked Carlisle if there was a dress code.

My eyes prickled with tears. God, I hoped I wouldn't embarrass him. What if I did something or said something and he regretted taking me?

No, I decided I did not like the purple dress. When the hell did I start wearing bows and ruffles? My breathing picked up and my hands started shaking. The nerves from before came back full force.

I quickly slid the dress off and collapsed beside it, on the cluttered floor. Tears of frustration were trying to fight their way out, as I looked around my new room. Clothes were strewn everywhere. They covered every inch of the bed and the bench next to it, and the only clear path led from the closet to the mirror. I was surprised there were clothes still in the closet.

_Maybe Lauren was right._

I angrily shook my head at the foolishness of the tiny voice in my head, but it wouldn't shut up.

_Was it ridiculous for Carlisle to take me there?_

No, I just wanted to learn. I wanted to listen to someone speak about hope and redemption. I wanted a chance to for once feel clean. I wanted to hear I was worthy of love, forgiveness and kindness. I just wanted reassurance that my soul was still worth saving. I whimpered pathetically and bit my lip to keep a sob from escaping.

No. I _could_ have those things.

The alarm next to my bed went off, telling me I only had forty-five minutes before Carlisle would leave. I still had plenty of time. I hopped up, but was immediately brought back down. My legs tingled and I tried to shake them and rubbed them to wake them up. I was sitting on them longer than I thought.

I hobbled over to shut the annoying buzzer off, and then slowly walked back to the closet. I decided to grab a dress and stick with it. Once it went on, it stayed on. I knew I was being ridiculous, and anything I picked would be suitable, thanks to Alice.

After Lauren commented on the last dress I wore, Alice combed through the clothes I had, and randomly picked things she didn't want me wearing. I had no idea what went though her mind, but I swore I heard her grumble, "My brother wishes he was Richard Gere."

She also replenished the wardrobe with stuff I had never seen before. When I opened my mouth to object, she just raised a tiny hand, and said, "I don't want to hear it. I made a mistake and I can promise you, Bella, it will never happen again. Just please let me fix it. I need to do this. Please trust me."

I sighed, as I thought about my peculiar new friend, and did what she suggested. Trusting that Alice wouldn't give me something that wasn't appropriate, I grabbed a dress and slipped into it. The smooth material felt amazing against my skin, and the cut was perfect. The dress came to my knees and the collar was modest.

I took a tentative step toward the mirror and was pleasantly surprised. It was a simple sleeveless, two-layered grey dress, but it was missing something.

I returned from the closet with a hand full of belts and started trying them on. I had never worn a belt with a dress before. The concept baffled me because I thought belts were used to keep things from falling.

When I found one that looked suitable, I smiled at my reflection, proud that I successfully accessorized. I imagined Alice ecstatic when she saw me. Well, more ecstatic than usual.

I glanced at the clock and saw that I still had twenty minutes left. I hurried to the vanity and rubbed concealer over the bruises like Rose taught me, and brushed some powder on my face. I finished with a clear lip gloss and gathered my hair in a bun using bobby pins to keep it in place. I slowed down my actions because the tiny bastards hurt my scalp at my rushed pace.

I was excited that I still had five minutes and rushed to find shoes to go with the new ensemble. Then everything came crashing down. All I had to wear were Converse shoes—at _my_ insistence.

My face burned and my eyes glazed over with tears. I struggled to control my breathing but snapped anyway. Before I realized what I was doing, I hurled the closest sneaker across the huge walk-in. I heard the blood rushing in my ears as I picked up another, then another.

How could I go to church in Chucks? It would look like I didn't care enough to wear heels. Sure they were uncomfortable, but Jesus freaking Christ was on the cross for how long? If I strolled into church wearing sneakers, it was a spit in the face to all the suffering he endured, just because I couldn't put my comfort aside for one fucking hour.

Deep ragged breaths shook my frame and I noticed my face was wet from my tears. I heard a car in the distance start, and my body sunk to the ground for a second time that morning. It was too late—Carlisle left.

Why couldn't I let Alice get those shoes for me? Why the hell did I let my pride get in the way? Maybe it was a sign. A sign that people like Demetri and Lauren were right. I knew it was an asinine thought, and the fact that I let them get to me burned in my gut.

I hated that they put that thought there. I hated them.

A loud sob was cut off when I clapped my hand over my mouth, and I rocked back and forth in a tiny ball on the closet floor. I couldn't believe the thoughts that had just gone though my head. It was true. I had no business going to a place of God with a heart full of hate and at that moment I knew those fuckers won.

I laid there in the closet crying and miserable. My nose was runny and stuffy, and it felt like someone blew up a balloon inside my head. My eyes were dry and sore from wiping them, and I had a stitch in my side from trying to suck air into my lungs between sobs.

I heard a soft knock on the bedroom door and Esme softly called my name. It brought a new wave of tears because I didn't want her to see me in such a pathetic state.

"Oh, honey. What's wrong," she asked while crouching next to me, "I thought you left with Carlisle."

I just shook my head, hopping she understood.

She left and I thought she would leave me to my misery. I was both happy and disheartened when she returned. I felt a cool wash cloth being wiped gently across my face and I slowly looked into her eyes and said, "I couldn't find anything to wear."

She leaned back to take an appraising look, and asked, "What's wrong with what you're wearing?"

"Nothing now," I sniffled, "Except I didn't have any shoes to go with my outfit."

She stood and retrieved a pair of regular black Converse, and handed them to me.

"I don't know, I think it's trendy," she said with a smile.

As I was lacing them up, I heard a soft tap on the closet door. Carlisle's head poked in, and his eyebrows shot up when he saw the destruction I caused during my fit.

He was dressed in a nice suit that probably didn't take him two hours to pick out. He bent down to plant a kiss on the top of his wife's head, before turning to me to say, "I left something back at the church. So if you want to get a feel for the place, you're more than welcome to tag along, Bella."

I was grateful he didn't ask why I was sitting all made-up and didn't meet him downstairs. Afraid that I might start crying again, I just dumbly nodded my head.

He smiled, and then turned to ask Esme, "Did you want to come too, sweetheart?"

She sighed and said that she spent too much time away from the center this week.

* * *

On the way to the church I broke the awkward silence and asked Carlisle what the sermon was about. Carlisle smiled and told me they read a passage from the Book of Job.

"Are you familiar with Job, Bella?"

I shook my head but then realized his eyes were focused on the road, so I said, "No, I tried to stick with the New Testament."

"Ah, well the story of Job goes that God and Satan were talking about the difference between faith and fear, and whether or not it was faith in God or fear of him that we follow."

I hung on each word, fascinated. I had never thought about the reason why people believed. I just thought it was something they did.

Carlisle continued, "Satan said that the only time humans followed God was when things were going well, and if they did stay during times of hardship, it was because they feared Him. So, God used Job as an example of faith."

"What did He do?" I whispered.

"He told Satan that he could do anything he wanted as long as he let Job live. So Satan killed his children, took away his land and all his possessions. His wife left him and his friends told him to apologize to God for what ever wrong he had done, even though Job knew he did no wrong."

My voice caught in my throat and I struggled around the lump that formed there.

"Why? Why did God let all those things happen to Job? I thought God was about love, but he let Satan punish him. Why?"

Carlisle took a deep breath before saying, "Sometime bad things happen to good people, Bella. We need to remember that when these things do happen to us, it doesn't make us any less worthy of His love. We can't control everything, but what we can control is our faith."

We pulled into a parking lot and I followed Carlisle into a building that looked nothing like what I thought a church would look like. There were no steeples, statues or church bells. In fact, the only reason I knew it was a church was due to the large banner in the lawn that read "Assembly of God".

We made our way inside and I took a seat near the back to get a lay-out of the place. Carlisle went to one of the rooms off to the side after I assured him I would be fine without him. I soon found myself thinking about what we discussed on the car ride over. I wish I knew the ending of the story. I wanted to know if things got better for that Job guy.

My body tensed as I felt somebody sit next to me. I was taken back to the time when Demetri found me in a church, and for a fleeting moment I panicked, thinking it was him. I chanced a look to my right and relief washed over me as I spotted a pretty brunette sitting next to me. I tried to hide the snort that came out when I saw she pulled off the skirt and shirt combo.

She smiled and said, "Hello, I don't think I've ever seen you here before. My name is Angela."

I took her offered hand and mumbled, "Bella."

"Well Bella, I make it a habit of getting to know everybody who walks through those doors," she said, pointing to the doors behind us.

I gave her a suspicious look. What would she want to know? More importantly, why did she want to know? Was it pure coincidence that her name was Angela or did Demetri send her?

She chuckled at the face I made, and explained, "Not only is my father a minister here, but so is my husband Ben."

"Oh!"

Angela smiled, and said, "So Bella, were you here earlier this morning?"

I looked down ashamed of the way I behaved earlier, and softly said, "No, I couldn't find anything to wear."

My head snapped to the soft peel of laughter coming from Angela. She must of sense my anger, and was quick to soothe my agitation.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. It's just that your honesty surprised me. Most of the women that come here wouldn't admit that it takes them so long to get ready on Sunday mornings. Tell me, why did you have such a difficult time?"

"I was anxious about coming. I've only been to church once before and I didn't want to look like a moron. I wanted to look nice, like I belonged here. I didn't want Carlisle to regret bringing me," I answered.

Her eyes scrunched together and she began to ask one of the many questions I was sure was running through her brain, "Why would you not belong—"

"I was a prostitute," I blurted out. I clapped my hand over my mouth and clamped my eyes shut. What the hell was I thinking? I barely knew her!

Angela gently took my wrists in her hand and turned me to face her.

"Bella, I don't know your story, and even if I did it's not my place to judge. That's between you and God. I will tell you this, not everybody in this church will have the same attitude that I have. I'm ashamed to say, if those people found out they would make being here very difficult. I'm happy that you shared this with me. I'd like to believe it's because you trust me," she said with a smile, "but please be more careful with others you decide to tell. Just wait a couple of weeks and you'll see exactly who I'm referring to."

I was nodding my head when Carlisle came back.

Angela stood to leave but not before saying, "And Bella, I think what your wearing looks great. I'm glad you came and I hope to see you next week."

She nodded a greeting to Carlisle as she passed him and he joined me.

"You ready to go, Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah. Hey Carlisle, what ever happened to Job?"

He smiled and said, "He was rewarded for his faith."

* * *

When we returned to the house, I was ambushed by Alice.

"Bella, I was wondering if you could help me with something," she said while pulling me in the direction of the kitchen.

"Sure, anything, Alice."

She was about to tell me what was so important, when she pulled us both to a stop. She looked at me from head to toe, and with a beaming smile said, "You look great, Bella. You even accessorized!"

I was pretty sure I was sporting a smug smile, and reminded her that she dragged me in the kitchen for a reason.

"Oh, right! Well, see Jasper's birthday is coming up, and I wanted to cook him a dinner of his favorite foods," she explained.

"But Alice, you can't cook."

She looked down sheepishly, and it all clicked into place.

"You want me to cook the dinner."

She gasped, "No! Bella, _I_ want to cook it for him. I just need you to make sure I don't burn the place down."

I smiled, relieved that she wasn't leaving the entire thing in my hands. She was bouncing around the kitchen showing me everything she had bought for the special dinner.

"So how many is this dinner feeding?" I asked her.

"It's for the eight of us."

My heart sank. I guessed Esme was wrong; I wasn't a part of the family. I didn't know it would hurt as much as it did. I tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to spill. I was getting pretty fucking tired of crying.

"I understand, Alice. I'll just make a sandwich or something," I mumbled.

Alice looked at me in shock, and said, "Bella, what are you talking about?"

"You said eight. I just figured…I thought I was welcomed. I-I understand if it's just for family," I finished lamely.

Understanding lit her face, and she said, "Bella, you _are_ family. Did no one tell you that Lauren is gone?"

I shook my head. I hadn't seen Lauren or Edward, and I figured they took off somewhere together.

Alice was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet while she said, "Yep. Edward kicked her skanky ass out of here Friday night, after she said those horrible things to you."

"W-why?"

She looked at me like I was nuts and simply answered, "She had to go."

I stood there, trying to wrap my mind around the news that Lauren was gone.

"Now, I already know we have to have fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob, but I don't know what to make for dessert."

I nodded my head seeing the southern theme she was going for, and suggested pecan pie with peach ice cream. I must have said something right, because her eyes lit up and she launched herself at me again.

"Bella, that's perfect!"

* * *

**A/N: As of now, I'm playing catch up with this story. It's finished on the other site, but with people putting this story on alert I thought it best to bring everything over to . I'm sure you don't mind ;)**


	7. Cullen Mating Dance

Another chapter! Are you ready for some lemony goodness? Thought so ;)

Check out the polyvore set if you're craving a pic of yummy Kellan Lutz.

Visuals: **http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/bear/set?id=24241170**

* * *

_I never saw a wild thing  
sorry for itself.  
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough  
without ever having felt sorry for itself._

"_Self-pity" by D.H. Lawrence_

**Esme POV**

"Dr. Cullen, would you mind giving me your professional opinion?"

Carlisle gave a sexy smirk and said, "Sure, Nurse. What seems to be the problem?"

"I have this tingly ache in this area," I said motioning toward my privates, "that I can't get rid of."

He grabbed me by the waist and brought me to his hard body. He lowered his head and buried his face in my hair. Inhaling deeply, he said in a husky voice, "Now now, Nurse Esme. You know damn well I have to be thorough in my examination."

We were standing in our bathroom and he lifted me to sit on the counter. His rough hands slid up my thighs and under my robe. I shivered in excitement as goose bumps spread across my skin.

"First, I think I should listen to your heart," he said while bringing his hands from their place on my legs, to loosen the knot holding my robe together.

He slid the silky fabric off my shoulders and began to nuzzle my breasts. He lapped at my hardening nipple and blew cool air over it. The air swirled around the rosy peek and it became painfully harder. I drew a ragged breath in as it the sensation caused my pussy to become drenched.

He chuckled darkly before saying, "Your heart rate seems to have increased, Nurse."

His hand dove between my thighs and he slowly began to play with my folds. I whimpered as he teased my entrance. I bucked my hips, trying to get the friction I desperately needed. Carlisle groaned and began slowly pumping a digit into me. He drew my left nipple into his warm mouth as he continued to play my body.

"God, Esme, you don't know what you do to me," he groaned.

I panted, needy for something only he could give me. I brought one of my hands that I had used to brace my weight to stroke the tented material of his boxers. I slipped it inside and Carlisle immediately bucked into my hand fisted around him.

"I need you inside me, Dr. Cullen," I whimpered.

He quickly stepped back and discarded his boxers. He slowly pumped his cock and crouched down to drag his tongue up my slit. My thighs clamped shut, my body desperate to keep his mouth on me.

He clucked his tongue and said, "Are you trying to keep me out?"

I frantically shook my head. I _needed_ to feel him lap at me. I was starved for his attention.

"So you were being a tease," he growled before he surprised me by roughly shoving my legs apart.

He held them apart with his warm hands and attacked my folds with his mouth. My hips bucked each time his nose pressed against my clit, and I let out a low keen. He pulled back only to slide two fingers into where his tongue had been moments before.

"Such a pretty pussy. So wet; so needy," he groaned while flicking my nub with his talented tongue. "I want you to come for me, Nurse Esme. That's an order."

Before I could ready myself, he sucked my sensitive bundle of nerves into his mouth and curled his fingers to find my g-spot. I didn't stand a chance. My hips shot up, and he quickly replaced his fingers with his hard shaft.

I wrapped my legs around his waist as he thrust into me and set a hard pace. He threw his head back and placed one of his hands on the mirror behind me, and the other under my ass cheek. I was so close and tried to hold off my second orgasm. I wanted to go over that edge with him.

"Don't you fucking come, Nurse," Carlisle hissed, "I'm far from finished."

He grunted as he took pleasure from my body and with one final squeeze to my ass, he unfurled my legs and placed them on his shoulders. I gave a shout as he pistoned into me, triggering my climax.

"That shouting must have given you a sore throat," he said while nibbling on my earlobe.

The combination of his breathing in my ear and the rocking motions of his hips caused my pussy to clench around his hard dick.

"Do you have any medicine you could give me?" I asked while licking my lips.

Carlisle groaned and I felt his hard-on twitch inside me. One of his favorite ways to finish was by watching himself come in my mouth. He slowly withdrew and helped me to my knees, since my bones had all but turned to mush. I looked up at my husband through my lashes and teased the purple head of his cock with my tongue.

He sucked air through his clenched teeth and grabbed the based of his cock. With his other hand, he guided my head to where he wanted and the speed he craved. When he was confident he wouldn't come, he brought his other hand to help the first by fisting it in my hair.

"Tell me…Nurse Esme. Do…you let…your husband…fuck this hot…little mouth…like you let…me?"

He held my head in place while he pushed his entire length down my throat. He quickly released me so I could drag some air into my lungs. He was panting hard, his cut body slick with sweat, and watched me as he stroked himself.

"No, Doctor. You're the only one who gets to fuck my face."

The hand on his cock sped up and he said, "Come here."

I leaned forward on my knees with my mouth open, and said, "Aaaahhh."

"Fuck, I love playing doctor with you, baby," he said in a rough voice.

* * *

Carlisle carried me to bed and hummed his approval as I traced my fingers across the light dusting of hair on his chest. After thirty years of marriage my husband still amazed me in the bedroom. He made a habit of working out every morning, and our sex life was better than it was in the beginning.

It was Friday night, and we had returned from Sal's in high spirits. I was certain Edward had finally gotten rid of the pest in my house. I smiled smugly, because if he hadn't I would remedy that problem soon.

"Carlisle?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you hear from Carmen how Bella's appointment went?" I asked.

He sighed and brought the arm I was using as a pillow up to cove his face. I knew it wasn't fair to ask him questions regarding Bella's medical care. As Bella's primary physician he had access to all her medical files, and with her consent, sound recordings of her time with Carmen. He felt trapped between guarding his patient's confidentiality and keeping his wife happy. However, I was starting to see Bella as a daughter and I worried about her, like I did with all my children.

"I fear her progress will take more time than we originally thought," said Carlisle.

"Was it that bad? I got the impression that things went smoothly when they returned?"

He sighed again before saying, "That's just it. Things went a little _too_ smoothly. I have a feeling, and Dr. Felsley agrees that Bella has had some form of therapy in the past. She used what therapist call 'tools' to express herself, unfortunately it sounded like Bella told her what she thought Dr. Felsley wanted to hear. There were also times when she didn't respond at all which means she's bottling her emotions. Of course, since it was only their first appointment together, it could be that Bella simply doesn't trust her yet."

"You don't sound convinced that Carmen will get through to her," I murmured.

He gave me a tired smile but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I think we might have to look at other forms of therapy."

I gasped and sat up, not caring that the sheet that had covered me had slipped and was pooled around my waist.

"You can't mean to use some archaic form of 'therapy', and she's completely able to function so I won't hear of drugging her!"

My husband gathered me in his arms and brought me back down into a lying position, while using shushing noises to calm me. He knew how I felt about those methods. I was forced to watch my brother experience 'behavioral modifications' and it sickened me that those methods were still being employed in the name of science.

"No, my darling. I wasn't talking about electroshock treatments. As far as medication goes, it will be up to Dr. Felsley to decide if it is necessary," he said.

Thoughts of Bella walking around like a zombie flew through my head. I remembered what that looked like, the vacant eyes, the lack of fire in the soul. The act of going through the motions without care. I shuddered and Carlisle rubbed calming circles on my back.

"I was thinking more along the lines of alternative therapies. Something recreational she could do to channel her frustrations."

"Like cooking," I said.

Carlisle nodded his head, and said, "Yes, cooking is great, but perhaps it would be better to find something where she won't need to worry about rejection or ridicule."

I remembered the snide remarks Lauren made throughout dinner, and fought the need to hunt the bitch down. If my daughter hadn't physically attacked that jealous harpy, I certainly would have. Carlisle's voice brought me back to our conversation, and away from thoughts of maiming the blonde.

"Then, there's always pet therapy."

I had a vague impression what it was, but I asked, "What is that?"

"In some hospitals and nursing homes, therapeutic animals are brought in to help cheer some of the patients. It works, surprisingly, and sometimes it's the only thing some of them have to look forward to—especially if there are no family visitors," he explained sadly.

My thoughts immediately went to Bella's family. Were they missing her? Didn't they care where their little girl was? Were they even alive to care? I knew if one of my children had gone missing I would scour the Earth until I found them. I couldn't image her family not caring.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and whispered, "Did Bella mention her family to Carmen?"

I felt awful assuming the role of Bella's mother if her true mother was out there looking for her baby.

"When Dr. Felsley brought them up, Bella completely shut down. I have a feeling whatever happened it's not a happy story."

I pled with Carlisle, hoping he understood, "Would it be wrong to search them out?"

"Sweetheart, I don't know if it's a good idea. She could come from an abusive home for all we know, and I'm not willing to risk Bella's well-being just to satisfy our curiosity."

He was right. I knew a large majority of the girls that came from the streets had experienced physical and sexual abuse, especially in cases of prostitution.

"Carlisle, I'm worried," I whispered.

"I'll talk to him."

He knew I was talking about our youngest son. Ever since their first dinner together, Bella had Edward's attention. Although I wanted my son to be happy, I didn't want it to be at the expense of Bella's recovery. If push came to shove, and although it pained me, I knew I would ask him to leave if he made Bella uncomfortable. He had already shown poor judgment by bringing Lauren here. Unfortunately, my son had let his hormones direct his actions and we all paid the price. There would not be a repeat.

* * *

It was Sunday, and I was enjoying my second morning of a Lauren-free house with my children. Everyone was joking around, passing juice or the cream and sugar, and in Emmett case—large amounts of pancakes. Where he put it, I had no idea.

I wasn't surprised when Jasper voiced my thoughts, "Emmett, where in the blue blazes do you put all that grub?"

"Jasper, I just might answer that if I knew what the hell it meant," he replied smugly.

"That _is_ what it means."

Emmett had such a look of pure confusion on his face that it was difficult not to laugh along with the rest of my children.

Jasper smirked, and said, "Blue blaze, as in fire—fire as in hell. Where in the blue blazes, means where in the hell."

After a beat of silence, and a chance to let it soak in, Emmett blurted out, "You just pulled that out of your ass, didn't you? You just make this shit up as you go along."

The kitchen erupted in laughter, just as Carlisle stepped into the kitchen. He was so handsome in his tailored suit that I had the urge to drag him upstairs. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that one member of my family was missing. I leaned to my side to see around him and was immediately worried.

"Carlisle, where's Bella?"

His brow furrowed, and he said, "What do you mean? Is she not here with you guys?"

Before I could make it out of the room, Jasper stopped me with, "I ain't too surprised."

Alice, who was standing next to him, sadly nodded her head with tears in her eyes.

I wasn't sure I wanted to know why, but asked anyway, "Why aren't you surprised Bella didn't go to church today?'

My daughter and her southern beau exchanged looks, and Jasper said, "The only other time Bella actually went to church, she was caught by Demetri."

"Demetri?" Edward asked.

"Her pimp," Alice grumbled. "He found her, but instead of dragging Bella out he planted little seeds of doubt. He spent the entire sermon telling her the people there wouldn't help her because they knew what she was. When he took her back to wherever he kept her, the bastard gave her a horrible beating. The bullshit Lauren spit out certainly didn't help her confidence either."

I jumped when I heard the sound of a dish being shattered. Edward shook off the juice that dripped from his hand, and hissed in pain when acid seeped its way into the cuts in his palm and fingers. Shards of glass and puddles of O.J. covered the counter top. Carlisle joined Edward at the sink as I looked at my children's reactions.

Emmett had his head dipped down toward Rose, their foreheads pressed together. She brought her hands up to cup his face and said something to him in a soft soothing voice. Whatever his wife said seemed to be working. My son's large frame was no longer shaking with anger, but his hands were still clenched into fists. He nodded his head at whatever Rose said and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Jasper had Alice in his arms and was slowly rocking from side to side. Although, it wasn't news to them they were still coping.

Rose softly asked, "Was that why Bella called Mom—because of the beating?"

My daughter squirmed nervously, while she struggled to find her voice.

Jasper came to her rescue, and said, "Actually, no. But we don't really feel right sayin' why she decided to call. I think it's her story to share, with who she wants to share it with."

Alice nodded her head before saying, "Yeah, I would feel like I'm betraying her trust. Please understand."

I gave Carlisle a questioning look as he joined me after patching up our son. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, letting me know that what my children learned was not shared with Carmen.

"I'm going to check on her," I said while turning to Carlisle, "I'm sure you must have forgotten something at the church. Maybe you could take Bella with you when you go back."

"Now that you mention it, I think Ben said something about reports that needed my signature," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. I loved it when he played along.

"That's a great idea, Mom," Alice said while clapping her hands together, "If there's not a crowd there, maybe Bella won't feel so stressed. She could familiarize herself with the place and feel more prepared on her next attempt."

* * *

After Bella and Carlisle left, I made my way to the study. I had neglected the women's center that week and was determined to get some work done. Rose was a gem. She had taken over the responsibilities of the upcoming charity ball and I was extremely grateful to have her working with me. A ball that brought in the elite would mean more funding and resources for the center.

At the center, a woman could get the help she needed to become a strong individual. We offered therapy, life management classes, even self-defense. Some of the money donated would go to hire professionals to teach the women the tools they needed to break away from their lives; but another reason for the ball was to make connections. In addition to those services, we also offered job placement and relocation.

I went to unlock the cabinet that held all of Carlisle's and my files only to find it was already unlocked.

I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach and called for Rose.

When she stepped in I said in a rushed voice, "Please tell me you got a file from the cabinet and forgot to lock it."

She shook her head and the feeling of unease from before washed over me. Maybe Carlisle forgot to lock it up.

I never made it to the center like I had hoped. There was a backlog of paperwork since Bella's arrival earlier in the week. After spending hours on the phone setting up appointments and making orders, I made my way to the kitchen. Before I got there, I heard the sounds of my children laughing and having a good time and I felt my earlier worries start to fade.

There was an assembly line on the kitchen island. Rose was coating pieces of chicken in flour, Alice dipped those pieces in egg, and Bella covered them with a breading mixture before dropping them in a deep fryer Jasper had bought earlier in the week. I wondered if Bella noticed the slow trickle of new kitchen appliances making their way into the Cullen kitchen since she expressed an interest in cooking. I certainly had no idea how to work most of them.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Little Alice's smiled and said, "Mom, tonight is Jasper's birthday dinner."

She saw my mind scrambling to remember if I forgot to wish him a happy birthday.

"Don't worry. It's not until tomorrow," she said.

"Well, put me to work," I ordered.

"Esme, you could finish the mashed potatoes. They need to be drained and I'll walk you through the rest of the steps," Bella said.

I nodded my head relieved that she was there to tell me what to do. Usually I just muddled my way though dinner and prayed it turned out right. I definitely didn't want to ruin tonight's dinner. Jasper had etched out a place in my heart, and I was thrilled that one day I could honestly call him 'son'.

I was mashing the potatoes when Edward came bustling in carrying grocery bags. He set them on the counter next to the refrigerator and started putting items away.

"I'll have you know, I had to go to three different stores to find all those damn ingredients," he grumbled to Alice.

She smiled sweetly and gave him a peck on the cheek before saying, "Thank you, and brother mine."

My daughters were working on the corn while Edward helped Bella make a peach dessert. All week, Edward offered lame excuses to be near Bella. Once he had the sense to kick Lauren to the curb, Carlisle jumped in and had a talk with our youngest son. He told Edward to watch himself, and that although we love him we wouldn't tolerate any funny business. If he wanted to pursue her he would have to leave.

Of course, since he's my son he had a bit of a mantrem and stormed out of the house. I wondered if he was coming back, and when I saw him in the kitchen I had assumed he chose not to go after her. That assumption was short lived when I saw the spark in his eye once he noticed Bella.

"Why aren't you with the rest of the boys, Edward?" I asked.

"Oh, Emmett decided to take Jasper to the gun range and Dad is at the hospital," he offered.

"Jasper and Emmett like to shoot guns?" Bella asked.

She was pulling a container out of the freezer and set it on the island.

"Well Jasper shoots because it was something he did with his father, and Emmett shoots because he's ex-military," Alice said as she made her way next to Bella.

Bella cocked her head to the side and asked, "Emmett was in the military?'

"He was but he took a bullet to the shoulder and it's never been the same since," Rose said with a sad smile.

I knew she was happy she didn't have to worry about him getting killed in the line of duty, hell I was too, but she was also sad because she knew Emmett still missed that part of his life.

"He was shot?" Bella asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, he was on a mission when we got the call," Edward said, unable to pass a chance to talk with her.

"What does he do now, if he'd not in the service?"

Rose perked up and said, "He has a gym in Seattle, and he helps teach self-defense at the women's center."

The ice cream maker was churning as Bella thought over what we had told her. She slid the recipe over to Edward and Alice to make the praline topping while she finished the ice cream.

"The women there," Bella said, focused on cleaning the counter top, "they're not scared of Emmett?"

"At first, his size can be a little intimidating; but when those women see that with the right moves they can take someone his size down, they feel powerful. They realize that being small doesn't mean being weak," Rose explained.

"Shit!"

Edward jumped away from the stove and held his shirt away from his body. Bella quickly made her way to him with concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay? Did you burn yourself?"

He quickly nodded his head, and said, "Yeah, some of the praline sauce sloshed out of the pan."

Bella's eyes nearly bulged out when my son raised the hem of his t-shirt to suck it into his mouth. Her eyes hungrily raked down his abs and the poor girl licked her lips. Not that I could blame her. Edward took after his father in build, and if it were Carlisle I would have done the same. Heck, the two often worked out together so I knew he was ripped like his dad.

Her eyes shot up and she glared at Edward before turning her back and finishing the sauce still on the stove. I had no idea what that glare was about, but in a small way I was happy she wasn't making it easy for him.

"Edward."

He turned to face me with a shocked, guilty expression on his face. It reminded me of the time I caught him pushing a four year old Alice into the mud. Yep, he forgot his mother was there to witness his weird mating dance with Bella.

I lifted an eyebrow and said, "Why don't you go put on a clean shirt, and for the love of God, please quit sucking on the one you're wearing."

* * *

I was going through my files making sure nothing was missing, when I heard the soft beautiful notes coming from the piano. It was well after midnight, and the misgivings I had felt earlier kept me from sleep.

"Have you noticed that his playing has changed since Bella arrived?"

I looked over to my wonderful husband, who was going through his own papers, to answer but the sound of a shrill cry rang through the house followed by the sound of thumping coming from upstairs.

We ran out of the office and were soon flanked by Edward who had abandoned his post at the piano. The sounds of a scuffle came from Emmett's and Rose's room. When I caught up, I ran straight into my husband and son who both had their heads turned away in a conspicuous attempt not to see what was happening in the room.

It was no wonder. Rose was struggling to tie a robe around her body, while Emmett was trying to shake off a crazed Bella. Her tiny fists pummeled his head, and she was nearly seated on his shoulders taking shots at him. Tears streamed down her face as she shouted profanities at him.

"How could you? Motherfucker, you were supposed to be different!"

Emmett would have thrown anybody from him but he was preoccupied trying to cover up his nakedness. There was also the fact that he didn't want to hurt her. He saw her as a little sister, and he would do anything to prevent causing her pain. Even if meant letting her rage against him.

I rushed to calm her but before Rose and I could get a hold of her, she jumped off and ran out of the room. She had pushed passed Carlisle and Edward and I heard a thump and Jasper swear.

"Bella, wait," Alice's voice rang out from down the hall.

I turned to Emmett who was fastening his pants, and said, "What the hell happened?"

Rose went to her husband's arms, and explained, "Bella might have gotten the wrong impression of what was happening."

"Why would she think that?" Carlisle asked.

My bear of a son actually blushed and said, "Rosie sometimes likes her hands tied while we're being intimate. And sometimes she can be a little loud so she asked me to cover her mouth."

"Oh, my god," Jasper muttered, "she thinks you were raping your wife, you asshole."

The severity of the situation slammed into me—into us all. Everyone jumped to action and questions were being thrown about, as we scrambled down the stairs to catch up with her.

"Is she okay?"

"Why couldn't you have normal sex?"

"Where is she going?"

But all the talking stopped when we heard the Mustang fire up.

* * *

**A/N: ****What did you think? Did you like the lovin' between Carlisle and Esme? How about t-shirt sucking Edward?**


	8. Tapped Out

Might be angsty so heads up. Also, language is a bit excessive and contains scenes that some may find disturbing. You have been warned.

Visuals: http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/memories/set?id=24504841

* * *

_There's a blade by the bed  
And a phone in my hand  
A dog on the floor  
And some cash on the nightstand  
When I'm all alone the dreaming stops  
And I just can't stand_

_What should I do I'm just a little baby_  
_What if the lights go out_  
_And maybe and then the wind just starts to moan_  
_Outside the door he followed me home_

_"Goodnight Moon" by Shivaree_

**BPOV**

He was on top of me again. My legs were hanging off the side of the bed, the edge cutting into the middle of my thighs, as he rubbed his hard-on against my ass. The stench of his cigarettes mixed with the sickening sweet scent of his cinnamon gum threaten to cause what little food I had in my belly to come up.

"Little whore, do you know what I'm going to do with you?"

All I could do was scream around the dirty rag they had shoved in my mouth. They liked to hear my screams, the little cries of pain they could wring out from me, but most of all they loved to hear me beg for mercy. Mercy they'd never fucking give. The dirty rag would be removed later—mid-thrust, just to get the full impact. He knew his size alone wouldn't hurt me, so he made up for it in brutality and humiliation.

He lifted his weight off me to reach under the tiny skirt Heidi had slapped on me, and ripped off my panties. He usually kept them. They were goddamn trophies of our times together.

I wiggled and screamed and tried to buck him off. He answered with a harsh punch to the middle of my back. My body locked in place as the pain radiated outward. Not of its own will; the restraints they had on me wouldn't let my limbs splay out. The rope that held my wrists behind my back creaked as my muscles fought against the binds, and I gasped around the cloth in my mouth but was only successful in choking on my saliva. A mixture of mascara, tears, and sweat stung my eyes and blurred my vision.

The cackle from the corner reminded me of the bitch in the corner, holding a tiny video camera. She licked her lips and had a crazed look in her eyes. She was strung out again; the drugs made her more sadistic, and I knew I was in for a world of pain that night. She came closer; zooming in on my tear streaked face, and grabbed a fistful of my hair to get a better angle.

His heavy panting voice caused me to shudder, as he said, "That's it, baby. Make sure you get a good shot of this. I love the sounds this little bitch makes when I'm in her."

I heard the sound of a zipper behind me, followed by the foil of a condom wrapper.

"You going to be a good girl for Jamie? No, of course you're not," she sneered right before spitting in my face. "Slut. You're enjoying this aren't you, Bella?"

I shook my head in confusion. She never called me Bella. She always used a label that she assumed would cause me shame. Cunt, bitch, whore, cocktease, anything she thought would break me. Never an actual name let alone my real one. I didn't even know she knew my real name.

"Bella?"

There it was again.

The sound of someone pounding on the door ripped me out of my memories. _Memories_. It wasn't real. They weren't here. They couldn't hurt me anymore.

I wasn't in some seedy motel room with Vic and Jamie. I was in a somewhat clean one by myself. I sat huddled on the floor between two full-size beds that were covered in comforters, with ugly ass Colorado-looking patterns and designs on them. My sore fingers clutched a bible to my chest and just like all those times before, I was struggling to catch my breath. I willed myself to quit with the fucking tears, but the lack of control over my body only mad me angrier, which lead to more tears. It was a vicious fucking cycle, and I was tired of it. So goddamn tired.

Before I made it out of the house, Alice caught up to me and shoved a wallet and a set of car keys in my hands. She then stepped out of her shoes, shrugged off her sweater, gave them to me and said, "Go, Bella."

When I jumped Emmett, I was only wearing a silly little pajama set. I would have run out of the house barefoot and in a tank top in the middle of April. As soon as I stepped into the room I checked into, I took off the shoes Alice gave me because they pinched my toes.

Still in a near fetal position, I inhaled deeply and heard muted voices outside. Maybe if I didn't answer they would go away.

"Bella, sweetie, we know you're in there."

Well, that plan was shot to hell.

"Bella, please open the door."

I shook my head, even though they couldn't see it. I couldn't face them. What must they think of me? I attacked someone. I attacked one of them. Someone who's been nothing but good and supportive, and I attacked him. They were probably there to kick me out. Tell me I was no longer welcome in the Cullen house.

I had clearly lost my fucking marbles. Why _would_ they want me there?

The thunk of the locking mechanism on the door told me they apparently didn't need my cooperation. Esme slowly approached me, while Rose and Carlisle talked with the night shift manager at the door. Goddamn traitor.

"How did you find me?" I asked as she sat next to me.

"I figured you'd want to go somewhere familiar. The first night we met, at Kings Inn, I saw a bible sitting on the bed. I assumed you were reading it that night. We're lucky the number of motels in Forks can be counted on both hands."

I nodded unable to agree verbally. Demetri never let us read, and it was my little way of fighting back. If I couldn't be free I still wanted to be me. I loved to read; however, the only book I could get my hands on was the Holy one, because that mother was in every motel room I've ever been in. Whenever I was waiting for Felix to bring a john, I read. The irony was not lost on me.

At first I read to stay sharp, but reading from those pages actually gave me hope. Hope that maybe things would get better. Or a least hope that God would one day smite the sons of bitches that tortured me. I prayed that other's actions wouldn't taint my soul, and that I could be forgiven like the harlots I read about.

"How did you get in here?"

She looked a little embarrassed as she said, "Carlisle told the night manager he was your physician and feared for your health." Her eyes darted down to my split knuckles, and she looked over to Carlisle and nodded her head in my direction.

He approached slowly, like he too thought I might bolt or something.

"Bella, would it be okay if I took a look at your hands?"

A fresh new batch of tears threatened to spill over. I didn't understand. I beat on their son, and they wanted to patch me up. I blinked back the pools in my eyes and nodded because I didn't trust my voice.

He squeezed himself between the beds and squatted in front of me. With a gentleness I didn't deserve, he took my sore hands between his warm ones and looked them over.

"They just need some ice right now. If it's alright with you, I would like to take some x-rays of them in the morning. Just to be on the safe side." When I didn't answer, he continued. "I'll be right back with that ice."

"Bella," Esme said, "Carmen is outside. She would like to talk with you."

I frantically shook my head. I couldn't deal with her questions; I was all tapped out on motherfucking emotional upheaval. With the shit morning I had and going ape-shit on Emmett, my nerves were frazzled.

"Please, Bella. We have no idea what happened. We're worried. Please, Bella, talk to her."

I clamped my eyes shut and gave her a curt nod. I needed to save my voice for Just-call-me-Carmen. I cringed, thinking about how the session would go. Usually I don't swear too much, but judging by my mental rantings I knew our talk would be colorful.

When Esme stood to leave, I quickly grabbed her hand.

"Please stay," I whispered.

She looked to Carmen, who had at some point made her way into the room without me noticing. Carmen's gaze quickly took in my appearance, and she gave Esme a nod. While Carmen set up her stupid tape recorder, Carlisle returned with a bucket of ice and a first aid kit.

While he cleaned my cuts and iced my hands, I thought about Carmen's tape recorder. She did what I asked at our first appointment, and she set it up out of sight. Why people felt the need to record me, I'd never know.

As soon as Carlisle left the room with Rose, Carmen who was seated on the bed in front of me began her prodding.

"Hello, Bella."

I gave her a nod.

"Can you tell us what happened tonight?"

After years of therapy during my adolescent years, I learned to just get the session over with. While Charlie's and Renee's divorce didn't traumatize me nearly as much as they thought, the coping techniques I picked up helped deal with the shit that came later.

"I was thirsty, so I decided to go downstairs for a drink of water. I know that there's a cup in the bathroom, but it wigs me out to drink from a glass that has been sitting in the same room I do my business."

She gave a small smile and bobbed her head for me to continue. Suddenly the cuff of Alice's sweater became very interesting, and I started playing with the loose bits of grey fabric there.

"I was passing by Emmett's and Rose's room when I heard a thump and Rose cry out. I knocked softly on the door, but they must have not heard me. When I opened the door, I saw him on top of her naked, taking her from behind with his hand clapped over her mouth. I could tell her hands were behind her back, and she was screaming behind his hand," I said, my voice breaking and those ever present fucking tears were in my eyes. "I thought he hurting her, and I snapped. I jumped on him and started pulling his hair and hitting his face, anything to get him off of her."

"You thought he was raping her."

I nodded my head, avoiding her gaze and especially Esme's. I wouldn't be able to handle her disappointment or pity. I practically accused her son of rape, and I didn't know how she would take it. So I chose the coward's way and avoided looking her in the eye.

"Other than what you saw, why do you suppose you had such a strong reaction?"

I gave Carmen a glare, refusing to answer. I knew what she was fishing for.

"Has something similar ever happened to you?"

I tore my gaze from her and bit my bottom lip. I knew this part would come up, but I couldn't talk about it. So I gave her another nod.

"Did someone rape you, Bella?"

Was she fucking blind? My glare returned. No, she saw it.

"Did somebody hold you down, while they—"

"YES. Are you fucking happy? I answered verbally for your stupid tape recorder," I shouted while pointing in the direction of the device. "Yes, they held me down and fucked me and gagged me and hurt me. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

She gave me a calculated look and said, "Do you think you deserved it?"

I thought about all that I had been through. I thought about the pain and the faces of the men and women who enjoyed inflicting it. Nobody deserved that shit. Thanks to all the fucking therapy, I knew exactly how to place blame. So was it my fault? Did I do anything to deserve it?

"No," I said through clenched teeth.

The session went on for what felt like forever, before Carmen decide we had made 'progress'.

"Here's the deal, Bella. We need to tackle all of your issues while your walls are down. This week is going to be brutal. I want to see you tomorrow, so we can work on these things you have bottled up."

I was so drained that every part of my body ached. I felt hollow and numb. The dull aches in my body and the sharper ones in my hands were the only thing that kept me grounded. I felt like I was ready to float away, and I didn't know if I could handle much more.

"Bella, are you with me?"

"I don't know if I can…do anymore. I-I-I don't know if I have anymore to give. I just…want to be happy," I whispered.

She thought over her words before saying, "If you truly want to be happy, we need to heal you first. This week you will have homework, starting tonight. After each of our sessions, I want you to think of an issue you wish to address the next meeting. Find something that makes you uncomfortable talking about, and we'll work through it together. Remember, Bella, I'm here to help you."

After Carmen left with the promise that she would see me the next afternoon, Esme softly cleared her throat next to me and handed me a bottle of water. I completely forgot she was there, and I would have jumped in surprise. However, I was too drained of energy to even blink.

"Bella, do you feel up to coming home?"

Home.

I still had a home.

Would have blinked back more tears, but found that I had none. How could I possibly face them after what happened?

"I can't go back there, Esme," I said. I saw the crushed look on her face and felt like shit, like I hadn't already. "At least not yet."

"Okay, Bella. Would you mind if I stayed with you? It's kind of late and I don't think it's a good idea to be driving."

I somehow managed a tiny smile. By then I was well aware of Esme's logic. She had a knack for finding excuses to do whatever the hell she wanted.

"Knock yourself out."

* * *

That night I had nightmares of Jamie and Vic, and when I woke up in the morning, I felt a pair of arms wrapped around me. Esme had left her bed in the middle of the night to comfort me. A single thought hit me like a motherfucking thunderbolt—I wasn't alone anymore.

I had people who cared about me. People who were willing to leave their homes in the middle of the night just to make sure I was alright. If I had anymore tears left I would have cried, but the bastards were missing, and my eyes were dry and irritated.

Carlisle took me to the hospital he worked at, and we got those X-rays he talked about. Luckily there were no breaks, but I put too much stress on the ligaments in my right thumb, and it had to be wrapped.

We were both quiet during most of the trip. It was fine, because truthfully, I was all talked out. The only time he said anything was when he let me know Esme and Rose wanted to have lunch with me. When he dropped me off at the motel, I noticed a huge duffle bag sitting on the bed. I found it a little funny that instead of taking Jasper's muscle car like I had expected, they left me with enough clothes to last the week.

I donned a pair of comfy jeans and a hoodie to go over the tee I was sporting. I was relieved to lace up a pair Chucks. While I was grateful for all Alice did for me, but trying to squeeze into her tiny shoes nearly killed my poor feet.

Esme took me to a diner outside of Forks very much like the one in Seattle. But things were different. It wasn't night, raining, and the company I had was an improvement from being cold and alone. Rose was waiting in a booth next to the windows for us.

She gave me a shy smile when I sat down across from her. Esme remained standing, which baffled the fuck out of me. Then it dawned on me, she didn't know where to sit. She probably didn't want me to feel crowded, but at the same time she didn't want me to feel abandoned either. Typical Esme, she sometimes read too much between the lines.

I scootched over and raised an eyebrow. The smile on her face was the first I'd seen all day, and I was glad to see it again. It bothered me that I caused her to worry so much.

The approach of our waitress reminded me of how freaking hungry I was. The bitch didn't even ask us if we wanted anything. She did a weird little head wiggle with her eye brows raised, as if to say, 'I don't have all day.'

I missed Flo. Broken typewriter and all.

We placed our orders and Rose turned to me. We just sat there for a while, neither knowing what the hell to say. I must have not had enough sleep, because before I could filter myself, I blurted out, "So, you like _that_, huh?"

Rose knew I was talking about the type of sex she and Emmett had. Luckily, she realized that I didn't say it to be a judgmental bitch, and she looked down and blushed.

Esme smiled softly before saying, "I have a call to make. I'll be back before the food gets here."

While she made her way outside, Rose said, "Yes, Bella, sometimes I like Emmett to be more aggressive."

I nodded my head. It didn't mean I necessarily understood, but I wanted her to know I accepted it. Realization hit that instead of stopping an assault, I had interrupted a happily married couple…well, coupling.

"God, Rose, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you actually liked it. I understand if you're angry at me."

Instead of accepting my apology she just sat there with a dumbfounded expression on her face. I waved my hand in front of her face to snap her out of it. Even with that silly look on her face, she looked like a supermodel. She blinked her blue eyes and shook some sense into her head.

"Bella, I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I should be thanking you."

It was my turn to be struck dumb.

She went on, "I'm not angry at you. How could I be? Not many people would be willing to beat on Emmett. I mean have you seen the size of my husband? You fought for me, Bella. The fact that you put your safety aside when you thought he was hurting me…"

She turned her head to the side so I wouldn't see her tears. She faced me again and motioned toward my wrapped hand.

"I'm just sorry you got hurt, Bella," she whispered.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and realized I didn't know what to say.

The waitress came back with our drinks, and Rose waited until the Anti-Flo took her disgruntled ass back behind the counter before she said, "Emmett feels terrible, Bella."

I gasped, "I didn't think I hit him that hard."

She looked like she was holding back a laugh, which kind of annoyed me. What the hell was so funny about me beating up her husband?

"No, Bella. That boy was in the Marines. What you did to him didn't faze him for long. I meant that he feels horrible that you think he's capable of…"

"Rape?" She winced at the word. I couldn't blame her, but said anyway, "Every man is capable of it, Rose."

Esme came back to a quiet table. I knew what I said bothered Rose, but she was a fool if she thought otherwise. People were capable of anything.

We ate our lunch in silence until Esme said, "Bella, I planned on taking you to Carmen's office after lunch." She exchanged an uneasy look with Rose and rolled my eyes, but bobbed my head to let her know I was waiting.

"Would it be alright if the family knew what you discussed in your sessions with her?"

"What?" The burger I was eating was long forgotten, as I fought with the thought that the Cullens wanted to hear about my fucked-up past.

"It's just that it might be better if we knew your history. We don't want to set off anymore triggers," Esme said in a pleading voice.

"I don't think I can tell you those things."

Rose perked up and said, "That's just it, Bella. You won't have to tell us. Esme says that Carmen records your sessions. All we need is your consent to hear the tapes."

I stewed over the knowledge that they would know everything. Did I want that? What would they think of me? Would they see how broken I was, and realize I didn't belong with their family?

I tried to hold back a sob. I'd be damned if I cried in a fucking diner. Esme quickly wrapped me in her arms and ran tucked a section of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail, behind my ear.

"Shhh, Bella. It doesn't matter what you say to Carmen. We could never think any less of you. We love you, Bella, but we don't want to say or do something that may upset you."

"But you'll see me differently. You'll know things," I whispered.

Their opinions of me would change. They would start to walk on eggshells around me, and they'd pretend to understand, when the truth was, how could they?

* * *

**A/N: You still with me?**


	9. Confessions of an Angel

This chapter is all about answers to the questions concerning Bella's past. Of course not everything will be addressed.

Visuals: **http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/confessions/set?id=24631840**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.**

**Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.**

* * *

_Dead leaves and the dirty ground  
when I know you're not around  
shiny tops and soda pops  
when I hear your lips make a sound…_

_If you can hear a piano fall  
you can hear me coming down the hall  
if I could just hear your pretty voice  
I don't think I need to see at all_

"_Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" by The White Stripes_

**EPOV**

We were in Carlisle's study listening to the file recordings of Bella's sessions with Dr. Felsley. Dad was sitting in his chair with Mom in his lap. Alice was curled into Jasper's side on one of the couches, while Emmett was sprawled on the other with his head on Rose's lap. Unlike my family, I couldn't sit still while listening to the tortures Bella endured. I was pacing like a caged lion, and my brother kept shooting me glares.

He was just pissed because I was allowed to roam freely, while he had to sit with Rose like a child. After Bella admitted to being raped, the atmosphere in the study practically vibrated with my family's rage. Bella spoke for over an hour about a couple whose names were Vic and Jamie. In a voice drained of emotion, she talked about how he hurt her and how his bitch of a wife recorded everything so he could have something to watch when his wife was going down on him.

My vision turned red as I visualized Bella's tiny body under some asshole that got off on hurting her. I imagined some woman holding Bella down so her husband could rape an angel. The healing cuts in my hand stung as my finger clenched into fists. And so help me, I wanted to hit someone. No, not just _someone_—I wanted to pound that guy Vic's face. Both him and his psychotic wife. I wanted to make them suffer like Bella suffered. I wanted their screams; I wanted their blood.

As Bella told Dr. Felsley about vile acts done to her by Vic and Jamie, repeatedly, my muscles tensed and my teeth hurt from clenching my jaw shut, and I had to remind myself to breathe.

When she spoke about being tied up and gagged, her voice was drowned out by a loud bang in Carlisle's study. I instinctively looked down at my fist to make sure I didn't use one of them to destroy something, like my body screamed for me to do. However, it wasn't my fist that put a hole in Carlisle's wall.

Emmett was shaking in fury and had his fists clenched next to his sides. Esme clicked the pause button, and the only sounds that were heard where Emmett's heavy breathing and the splat-splat sound of blood dripping from his fist to the hardwood floor.

In a defeated voice he said, "She thinks I'm a monster like him."

Carlisle dug a first aid kit out of a side desk and made his way over to Emmett, muttering something about how all he did anymore was patch up his kids' hands. When he finished bandaging Emmett's hand, Carlisle sent him to his current position on the couch and rejoined Esme as she clicked the play button.

Dr. Felsley posed a question that had plagued my mind ever since meeting Bella. "If that was happening to you, why did you stay?" I knew from Esme that getting away was tricky, but I wanted to know if her fear was the only thing that stopped her.

Bella gave a tired sigh before saying, "It wasn't easy getting away. There were only a handful of times when I was left alone. I never walked the streets like some of the other girls because I wasn't that kind of prostitute. Selected men were brought to me or me to them."

What did that mean? If she had the chance to leave, why didn't she the first time? And who were these '_selected men'_?

The sound of papers rustling carried through the speakers followed by Dr. Felsley voice.

"It says in your files that you're clean of all venereal diseases. Do you think the selection of men is responsible for that?"

"I think some of the men were important," Bella offered. "I was constantly tested for STDs, and the men almost always wore protection."

"So you were a call girl?"

Bella gave a snort.

"That implies the interaction was somewhat civilized. The fucked-up truth is some men get off on raping girls. Even rich, powerful men with beautiful wives." Her voice had taken on an edge, as she said, "I never did_anything_ willingly; forget about dinner and a date. It was only about power during sex, not fucking companionship."

Alice's shaky voice forced Esme to pause the session again.

"But I don't understand. Why would they do that?"

"Rape fantasies," Emmett answered in a hollow voice. "Like Bella said, some of them get off on it. If they pay for it, they assume the girl is getting some of the money. I guess they don't think it's rape if the girl won't press charges."

My sister's hysteria was palpable as she said, "But how could they not tell the difference between that and the real thing? How could they keep hurting her? How the hell could anybody hurt Bella?"

Her question went unanswered. I didn't pretend to understand the mindset of a rapist. Sure, I've felt then need for power during sex, but forcing a woman while taking pleasure in her pain was something entirely different. Bella would probably be disgusted if she ever learned of the things I did to Lauren. At that moment, I felt the same shame and self-loathing that was there after fucking Lauren.

* * *

The next morning found the family in the same positions as the previous day. I hoped yesterday's session was not as bad as the first. Perhaps it was selfish, but I didn't think I could handle listening to stories of Bella being violated by the faceless men that haunted me in my sleep. I dreamt of them using her while she cried for me to save her. I couldn't get to her to stop her pain.

The recording started with Dr. Felsley and Bella greeting one another.

"Bella, did you do the homework I assigned you?"

I waited to hear Bella's sultry voice, but it never came. It caused a twinge of disappointment in my chest, and I mentally berated myself for craving the sound of her voice so much.

"I see you're shaking your head. Was there a reason you chose not to do the assignment?"

"I'm tired of crying. I don't want to do this."

I tried to beat down the little part of me that was thrilled to hear voice, especially since she sounded so miserable.

"Bella, you said you wanted to be happy again. Burying all this stuff inside isn't the solution. So, what do you want to work through today?"

A beat of silence told me Bella wasn't going to say shit.

"Fine. You want to do this the hard way? We'll do it the hard way." I started to like Dr. Felsley a little less. She was going to push Bella into remembering something painful. Bitch doctor was going to make my angel cry. "How did you end up in Washington? You're not from around here. How did you get here?"

"I was brought here," she whispered.

"When?"

"When I was sixteen."

More papers shuffled as Dr. Felsley said, "So, four years give or take. Who brought you here?"

"I don't know," mumbled Bella.

"I can't help you if you won't cooperate, Bella."

Bella's shout stopped my pacing.

"I don't know! Alright? One minute I'm at my friend Bree's house, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the back of a van."

The air left my lungs and I struggled to stay standing. Bella didn't fall in with the wrong crowd, nor did she have a boyfriend who shared her with his buddies. She wasn't a runaway who chose to leave her home. She _had_ no choice.

"Who were they?"

"I don't know. They didn't exactly introduce themselves," Bella spat. "Two men. There were a few other girls in the van with me—two blondes and a tiny Hispanic girl. Days and days we were in the back of that van. They only stopped so we wouldn't piss ourselves. They taped our mouths shut so we couldn't scream and our hands behind our backs.

"After the first couple of days they gave us sandwiches and told us if we screamed when the tape came off, we wouldn't be fed again. One of the blondes didn't believe them. She started screaming; even while they beat her, she only got louder."

Bella paused and I wanted nothing more than to hold her and tell her she would safe from now on. I could tell she was struggling with her emotions, her voice thick from restrained sobs.

"Do you know what I did? I grabbed my sandwich and ate while two feet away a girl, just like me, was beaten and kicked. Instead of caring about her, I was worried they would take my shitty sandwich back. What does that say about me? As a person, what does that say?

"Who knows, maybe if I had done something beside stuff my face, we could have been saved. We could have gotten away. I would never have been given to Heidi and Demetri to be pimped out."

My heart broke for the beautiful girl with brown eyes. I understood where the sadness in her voice came from. She blamed herself. Apparently Dr. Felsley thought so too.

"Self-preservation is nothing to be ashamed of. Bella, you are not responsible for the actions of others."

Bella emitted another snort, and she chuckled darkly before saying, "I know I'm not responsible for what they did. But I am responsible for my own actions or in this case, inactions."

"Bella, what could you have done? You were outnumbered, outweighed, and they denied you food for days to physically weaken you. What were you going to do, scream so they could beat you too?"

After the file finished playing, the office was quiet as we processed what was said. Esme sat in Carlisle's lap with a glazed look in her eyes. A single tear slid down her face as she whispered, "I didn't know. I thought she was a prostitute. I didn't know."

My father wrapped his arms around her and tried to calm her.

"Sweetheart, how could you have known?"

Esme jerked out of his arms, stood towering over him, and yelled, "She was a **sex slave**, Carlisle!" I fought the bile that was working its way up my throat, as she said, "They took her from her family and sold her body to those vile people who raped her. And I let it happen."

She clamped her hand over her mouth as her eyes filled with anguish.

"How is this your fault?" Carlisle asked while shaking his head.

In a broken voice, my mother said, "I left her there. I left her there with those people. I could have taken her home that night, but I thought she was like so many other girls I see. I assumed she was in a relationship with her pimp. That she had the same mentality as a battered woman who thinks, as long as he loves her, it doesn't matter how he treats her. Months she was abused after I first saw her, and I could have taken her home that night."

She took a deep, jagged breath, and Carlisle stood to take her back in his arms.

She crumpled into his embrace and whispered, "Why couldn't I see it? I knew she was different."

* * *

It was the third morning that Bella wasn't with us. At five thirty, the whole family trudged into Carlisle's study. If we were tired, I couldn't imagine the mental fatigue Bella must have felt.

I was torn inside. I missed Bella. I missed hearing her rich sultry voice in person. I missed seeing the spark in her beautiful brown eyes, and the sexy little smirk she wore on those plump lips when she found something amusing. I missed the way my body jumped to life when I sensed her nearby. My body was anxious with anticipation for a chance to come into contact with her, to inhale her sweet fragrance, or feel the zing of electricity that passed between us when my skin brushed against hers.

Most of all, I missed the life she brought my family. Nobody smiled anymore. There wasn't a reason to. It was like we couldn't function without her there. Our family wasn't whole without Bella.

She decided to stay in the crappy motel, despite Esme's and Rose's pleas to move to a nice upscale hotel. She also refused to let anyone stay with her at night. Some excuse about her nightmares keeping Esme, Rose or Alice awake. One thing she couldn't budge us on was our insistence that someone spend a majority of the day with her. Later today, Alice would take her to buy a cell phone so she could call us if she ever needed one of us.

I was surprised to see every member of the family in the office. I thought it would be too much for Alice, Esme, or even Emmett. I, personally, was barely hanging by a thread. Maybe it was the masochist in me that needed to hear her voice, no matter how much what she said crushed me. It was the only time of the day I got to hear her. I hadn't built the kind of relationship with Bella that the other men in my family had. I didn't see her as a sister or a daughter, so I didn't know how to sit in a diner booth and act like she wasn't anything more than that.

Perhaps my family was like me, and the reason they were there was because they were perversely curious about what happened in Bella's past. Who was responsible for causing such a beautiful creature pain? Did they too struggle not to hunt down the bastards who abused and violated her?

We all took our positions, looking like hell but ready to endure a little bit of Bella's torment. If she could be strong and brave and face her monsters, then we could vicariously experience a tiny fraction of that pain, just to be closer to her. After looking at each member of the family, Carlisle gave a sad determined nod. He reached around Esme and brought up the file on his computer. With a heavy sigh he clicked 'play'.

Dr. Felsley's voice washed over the room.

"What would you like to talk about today, Bella?"

Bella hung on to her silence. I smiled softly thinking about her stubbornness. Sometimes it rivaled Esme's.

Dr. Felsley sighed and said, "We're doing this again, Bella? How can I help you if you work against me?"

"I don't know what you want me to talk about. I told you about being taken, about the people who paid to hurt me. For years it was the same shit. What else is left to talk about?"

"Tell me about your family," Dr. Felsley urged.

I noticed Esme sit a little straighter, obviously interested in the direction of the conversation.

"What is there to say?"

Her monotone voice clearly said there was plenty on the topic to discuss. Felsley jumped right in.

"How old were you when your parents divorced?"

"Thirteen."

I looked around at my family and realized how much I took them for granted. I couldn't imagine my parents separated. Bella must have adjusted to so much when she first got here.

"And how did that affect you?" Dr. Felsley continued.

Bella gave a cute little huff before saying, "Look, I know you think their divorce must have had a great impact on me at that age, but the truth is they were better off apart." A tiny gasp came from Alice as Bella went on. "There were no loud screaming matches, or abuse of any kind. They just grew apart. Charlie and Renee slept in separate bedrooms and were more like roommates than spouses. Even at thirteen I knew they were miserable, and that they stayed together for as long as they did so I could have both parents growing up. I was relieved when Renee told me she wanted to move."

I grinned when I noticed she called her parents by their first names too. I wondered if she always did that, or if the time away from them mixed with time with us, led her to pick up the habit.

"Where did you grow up?" Dr. Felsley asked.

"After the divorce, Renee took me to live in Jacksonville. She got remarried to a younger man, Phil. I spent my summers with Charlie in Phoenix."

"Do you miss them?"

"Sometimes," Bella said in a soft voice.

I could hear the longing in that one word, and I wondered what happened to make her so goddamn sad.

"Have you tried contacting them?"

Bella's silence on the recording reflected the stillness in Carlisle's study. Did Bella shake or nod her head? And why the hell did it matter so much? None of us would stop her if she wanted to be returned to her family. If that was the case, why was there a physical ache in my chest when I thought of her leaving us? Of leaving me?

Dr. Felsley gave Bella a push.

"Don't you think they miss you?"

"No. They don't miss me," she whimpered.

"How do you know that?"

Bella's sniffling echoed in the otherwise quiet office.

"I called her once—Renee. After almost two weeks in Seattle I snuck away. I knew she would be waiting for some sign of me, so I called the house."

Bella's broken sob caused my body to tense; as she went on, I got a bad feeling of what was to come.

"She started crying when I asked her if she could come get me. I told her I was in Seattle, and she laughed. My mother laughed at me. She told me it was my own fault. I didn't know what she was talking about. How could it have been _my_ fault? I didn't do anything wrong.

"And then Phil took the phone from her and started yelling at me. He said the cops told them that I ran away. He called me a selfish little bitch for breaking Renee's heart. I cried and told him it wasn't true, that I was taken, but he called me a liar and said he didn't want to hear my bullshit story. He told me I wasn't welcomed back."

Bella was openly sobbing, and her cries nearly crippled me. She spoke for hours about being violated in the worst ways imaginable, and it didn't cause her to break like she did when she talked about her mother abandoning her. Both Renee and Phil made it to my shit list for causing Bella that anguish. They failed her, and I hated them as much as I hated the sick fucks in Seattle.

While Bella's crying died down, I looked around the room. Esme was quietly sobbing into Carlisle's shoulder while his own eyes were wet with tears. Alice sat next to Jasper. She wore no make-up, and it looked like she didn't care what she put on that morning. The desolate look in her eyes matched the one in Jasper's. Rose stared out the window. She did nothing to stem the tears that ran down her cheeks. She simply ran her fingers through her husband's hair. Emmett was scribbling something down on folded sheet of paper, wearing a scowl on his face.

Dr. Felsley's voice interrupted my observations.

"What about your father?"

Bella hiccupped and said in a miserable voice, "Charlie's in law enforcement. If he wanted to find me, he would have found me. Are we almost done for the day, Carmen?"

"Yeah, Bella. You did great today."

* * *

The house was quiet for the rest of the day, each of us lost in our thoughts of Bella. No one even attempted to go to work. We just floated around in a daze—a dismal, gloomy daze. The silence was broken at dinner. I didn't even know what we were eating; I was so lost in my thoughts. Emmett's booming voice startled Alice, causing her to spill her drink. Instead of sticking her tongue out or something else very Alice-like, she quietly sopped up the spill.

"I want to teach Bella self-defense."

After a stunned silence, as opposed to the normal one we had been experiencing, Carlisle cleared his throat before saying, "Was the beating she gave you not good enough?"

We all turned to look at my brother. He sat next to Rose with a little bandage over his nose, a puffy lip, and multiple scratches on his face. Yep, Bella really did a number on him.

Rose was the first to giggle at her husband, and soon the rest of us joined her. It was like coming up for air. After being drowned by our emotions over the last few days, stopping the laughter that flooded the room was futile. We gasped for air and wiped happy tears from our faces, and for a brief moment it felt like things were back to normal.

Until I looked at Bella's empty seat.

* * *

There wasn't a session to listen to the next morning. I should have been able to sleep in; instead, a loud series of barks ripped me from my dreams of a crying angel. I dragged my ass out of bed when I realized whatever was making the noise wasn't stopping.

I almost fell down the last few steps when I caught sight of the huge dog in the foyer. It looked like a wolf or one of those snow dogs. Both Alice and Emmett were bouncing around like children. After the gerbil fiasco of '92, the Cullen children weren't allowed to have pets.

"What's with the canine?" Jasper asked his voice gritty with sleep.

Dad took Mom's hand and said, "Esme and I have talked about getting a dog for Bella—"

"But it's the family's dog too, right?" Emmett interrupted excitedly.

"Not necessarily," Carlisle answered, "Leah was a police dog, and both she and her partner were shot in the line of duty. Unfortunately, her handler was killed and she was left without an owner. Due to the trauma she suffered, she's become gun shy and loud noises bother her. So Emmett, you might have to keep it down when she's around. Even though she's a little skittish, we hope she and Bella could bond and heal each other."

"Until Bella comes back, we all need to pitch in. Is that clear?" Esme asked.

Each member of the family slowly approached Leah so she could familiarize herself with our scents. As soon as I stepped up, she bared her teeth at me and her ears flattened to her skull. She gave a warning growl and I immediately backed off.

"Just give her time, Edward," murmured Jasper.

I groaned thinking of how much more difficult getting closer to Bella had become.

* * *

The next morning, the family gathered again in the study, everyone taking their places. Even though we had listened to the nightmares of Bella's past, we returned with new devotion. We would hear anything Bella had to say because she was one of us. _We_ were her family now. Her home was with us, and _we_ would put the angel back together when the world turned a blind eye to her suffering.

Dr. Felsley began the session with, "How are you feeling today, Bella?"

"Tired."

"I had hoped with the day off, you would have had time to rest."

Bella sighed and said, "I didn't sleep well last night. The people in the next room were kind of loud."

I gritted my teeth thinking of the sleazy motel she was staying in. I hoped this intensive therapy shit was almost finished, and that Bella would come home. Our walls were plenty thick and she wouldn't need to hear strangers fucking.

"Since you're tired, why don't we take things down a notch? Let's talk about how things are going with the Cullen's."

Bella's beautiful, soft chuckle brought a smile to everyone's face. She never had a reason to laugh in one of Dr. Felsley's appointment's before. Damn, how I missed her laughter.

She said, "I don't know if you're trying to be cruel to me or the Cullen's."

"Oh, come on, Bella. Use this opportunity to tell them things you would be too shy or afraid to say to them in person."

She was quiet for a few seconds but it was plenty of time for us to exchange nervous looks. Did she not like staying here with us?

"The Cullen's are beyond wonderful. They took me in like I was one of their own."

"You get along with the girls?" Dr. Felsley asked.

"Oh yeah! Alice and Rose are like the sisters I never had. And Esme… Esme has…" Bella stopped to clear her throat, but her voice was still strained with emotion. "I could never thank Esme enough for what she's done for me. I didn't think I'd ever be someone's daughter again."

My mom fucking beamed at Bella's words, with happy tears in her eyes. I knew how much she loved Bella, and Bella's acceptance meant the world to her.

"How about the guys? Do you feel comfortable around them?"

I stopped my pacing. Her silence made me anxious.

"For the most part, things are going great with the guys," Bella answered.

"It sounds like there's a 'but' in there," Dr. Felsley stated. I agreed.

There was nothing but silence from Bella. I wished Dr. Felsley video tapped the sessions, just so I could interpret her facial expressions. However, with Bella's history with video cameras, I was thankful for what I could get. A little bit of insight on the creature that was Bella Swan.

"Do they make you feel uncomfortable in anyway?"

"I-I… uh." Instead of finishing, Bella huffed in frustration.

"Is it Emmett?" Dr. Felsley asked.

Emmett had sat upright at the same time I stopped my pacing. The possibility of him causing Bella discomfort had him hanging his head.

"God no! Emmett never did anything to me. What happened Sunday night was because of my own issues. I love Emmett, and I feel so bad for the things I thought and said and did. No, Emmett is so much fun to be around. I never thought I could interact with men like I used to, until he came along."

"Is it Jasper?"

Everyone turned to Jasper, and he got that, 'What did I do?' look on his face.

"No, Jasper's cool," Bella answered, and Jasper sighed in relief.

Dr. Felsley continued. "Carlisle?"

"No, Carlisle is so incredibly caring and… He makes me realize how much I miss my own father."

My parents offered each other a sad smile. There was a brief lull in the conversation, and I walked to the window. I was the only Cullen man left.

"Did Edward do something or say something that made you feel uncomfortable?"

Even with my back to them, I felt the stares of my family members.

Bella said, "Yes. No… Argh!"

What the hell did that mean?

"Take your time," Dr. Felsley urged.

"It's just sometimes… he looks at me," she muttered. The weight of the stares bore down on me. How could anyone _not_ look at her? She was a goddess. Who wouldn't be captivated?

"How does he look at you?" Dr. Felsley asked.

"Like some of the johns use to look at me…," I was aware of the growl my brother gave, but my true focus was on Bella's words. "But not. Sometimes he looks at me like… I'm special… and beautiful. And it doesn't make sense. He knows what I was, but when he looks at me, it's like it doesn't matter. And it doesn't make any kind of fucking sense!"

Her voice changed in volume. It sounded like she was pacing closer and further away from the recorder. I caused her to be so agitated that she was forced to pace.

She went on, saying, "It pisses me off because I don't know what it means. It used to be that if a guy looked at me like he wanted me, I knew what to expect. But with _him_ it's different. I don't know what he wants from me. Even when he was with Lauren, he would look at me the same way. It didn't make sense because Lauren was beautiful, and it was obvious she gave him the attention men need. So, I thought, 'Oh, he's just another guy who'll go looking for something on the side.' But he never did, and I don't know what it means."

Was I that obvious in my attraction to her? I never wanted to make her to feel uneasy. If I flirted with her, it was unintentional. However, I couldn't deny, I loved that beautiful blush she had reserved for me. Those last days with Lauren, I tried my damnedest to stay away from Bella, but she was like a siren's call I couldn't resist.

"Are you attracted to him?" Dr. Felsley asked.

My head spun to the direction of the computer. Was she?

"What? No," Bella said quickly.

It felt like being punched in the gut. If Bella didn't have those feelings for me I would have to leave. I didn't know if I could stop looking at her or act like she wasn't remarkable. Besides, Carlisle made it abundantly clear that if Bella was uncomfortable, I was out the door.

"It's okay if you are, you know?" I think I was starting to like Dr. Felsley a little more.

"Carmen, why would he want me? I'm nothing special," she whispered.

"What if he disagrees? Okay, say he does want you. Would you want him back?"

I held my breath waiting for Bella's answer.

"Oh God! He's hearing this right now, isn't he?" Bella groaned.

"Would you like me to stop recording?"

I waited for Bella to answer but the click of the session ending answered for me.

* * *

**A/N: I know intensive therapy like this is rare, but for the sake of moving the story along I put it in here. I also know the likeliness of a therapist releasing recordings from sessions is rare, but it too fits with my storytelling. There's no way my Bella could admit these things to the Cullen's. I need to get all of this stuff out of the way so I could focus on getting to the HEA.**

**Leave me your thoughts!**


	10. Synonyms for Vagina and SheBeasts

This chapter is purely fluff. I needed a break from the usual, and I hope you guys like it as much as the other chapters.

Visuals:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/hbic/set?id=24073849**

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/crosses/set?id=24748666**

* * *

_Are you anything like me?  
Is it possible all anybody needs  
Is a little more love?  
And be the hands the feet  
Would it make the world believe?  
I don't know  
Maybe it's just me_

"_Just Me" by Sevenglory_

**BPOV**

I should have been packing my bag since Alice was on her way to pick me up. Instead, I was sitting on the motel bed thinking of how messed up it was that I willingly stayed at the sleazy place for an entire week. Last night, I jolted awake, unsure of what it was that woke me up. I looked around confused, and for a brief moment, I half expected Felix to stroll through the door with another high-paying client. Then I heard the rhythmic thumping on the other side of the wall. Again.

I hadn't planned on going back to the Cullen's house until Sunday, but I couldn't stay in that motel for another night. After the first couple of days, it felt liberating being able to come and go as I pleased. I didn't have to answer to anybody, and I didn't feel trapped like a prisoner. I loved my newfound freedom. The only problem of being on my own was that I was so goddamn lonely.

The only times I talked to another soul was during my time with Carmen and whenever I got to see a representative of the Cullen family. Usually it was Esme or one of the girls for lunch and to hang out in the afternoon, but sometimes Jasper would meet up with us. Alice liked to take me shopping, though she rarely got her way of getting new clothes on me. Rose liked to stroll through the park while watching children play, and Esme preferred lunch at the diner. I could talk to her for hours over coffee and pie.

I hate to admit it, but after some of my sessions with Carmen, I couldn't be excited about seeing Rose or Alice. I knew it was ridiculous to feel inferior to them, but after repeating some of the things I was forced to do, I couldn't help but feel soiled, like I didn't belong in their perfect world. Some days I hated them, and I envied the lives they were blessed with. On those days, Alice or Rose picked up the vibe and noticed me distancing myself. Instead of backing off, they doubled their efforts of making their acceptance apparent. Even though I had only recently met them, I couldn't help but feel their love. Feeling their love caused me to be ashamed of despising them. They couldn't help their good fortune any more than I could my sucky one.

I had yet to see Carlisle, Emmett, or Edward. Carlisle was busy with the hospital but he managed to call every afternoon to say hello, and to see if I had changed my mind on going back home. I assumed Emmett was waiting for me to go see him. I knew he still felt shitty for how things went down Sunday night. I did get a text from him on Wednesday. Alice showed me how to open the message and send a reply. Emmett's text was a little hard to interpret. It looked like his fingers were too big for the tiny buttons, but it was probably an 'I miss you' text. I texted back letting him know I wouldn't be gone too much longer. He texted back with a colon symbol, a 'j', and a closed parentheses symbol. I asked Alice what the hell that meant, and she said he probably messed up on a smiley.

I looked at the clock on the nightstand and realized I wasted twenty minutes sitting around thinking. I quickly got my bag and put my toiletries with my clothes. I never unpacked since I knew I wouldn't be in that motel for too long. I went over to the night stand to get my cross necklace that Alice brought with her on one of her visits. Sitting next to it was the bible, and the thought of taking it with me was extremely tempting.

I was instantly disgusted with myself. Who the hell steals a bible? I shook my head angrily. I more than anybody knew how important it was, and that bible was not mine to take. What if the next person to use that room needed the bible, only to find it gone?

I thought back to my last session with Carmen. After nearly confessing my conflicted feelings about Edward, I told her I didn't want her to give the Cullen's anymore sessions. She nodded her head in agreement saying they now knew my history, and she saw no more need to let them hear what we talked about.

We spent Friday's time together talking about how I viewed sex, and why I ran to the motel of all places, after attacking Emmett. We did a word association game where she listed random things and I quickly gave her the word that popped into my mind at the time. When she said 'sex', I responded with 'pain'. The game stopped there, and Carmen wrote something down in her notebook. I knew I had issues, but at that moment it became blaringly obvious that I wasn't a normal girl. She told me we would be spending more time on dealing with my intimacy issue and set up next week's appointment. I was surprised when she said we could start seeing each other only once a week. I couldn't be more relieved; talking to her everyday was fucking exhausting.

After a quick rap on the door, I let both Alice and Jasper into my room.

"Good morning, Miss Bella," said Jasper with a slight nod of his head.

I smiled and wished him a good day in return.

As he made his way over to my duffel bag, Alice's tiny body collided into mine for one of her trademark hugs. Once she released me she began talking excitedly.

"Jasper is here to grab your bag and the Mustang, and you missy, are coming with me."

"And where are we going?" I asked.

Jasper walked around us and headed out the door with my duffel bag hanging off his shoulder and an apologetic smile on his face. I groaned knowing the answer to my question.

"You and I are going shopping," Alice announced with a silly, triumphant smile on her face.

She took me to a small boutique in Port Angeles, where she dragged me inside and immediately began handing me dresses to try on. I sighed, knowing she was excited about me coming back home and decided to humor her. She quickly ushered me into a large fitting room and surprised me by locking herself in with me.

She shrugged her tiny shoulders and said, "You'll need help with the zippers."

I tried on a barrage of dresses. The helpful shopkeeper kept a steady supply of beautiful sundresses and evening gowns in my size flowing. Not once did Alice try on a dress. After what felt like the fortieth dress, I finally asked, "Alice, why am I auditioning to be a mannequin?"

Alice stopped her inner debate over a lacy white dress that had little orange flowers around the hem and a retro, faded blue dress. She cocked her head to the side, scrunched up her nose, and oh so eloquently said, "Huh?"

"The dresses, Alice. What's with the dresses?"

Her eyebrows shot up and she exclaimed, "Oh Bella, I forgot to tell you! You are cordially invited to Esme Cullen's Garden Party." She finished the statement with flourish and bowed at the waist.

I tried to hold back my giggle and said, "And the evening gowns?"

"The charity ball that Rose has been organizing is in less than a month. It falls on a Saturday night, and Esme's garden party always takes place the Thursday morning before."

"Alice, I don't know if it's a good idea that I go," I said uneasily.

She let the dresses she was holding, drop to her sides and timidly walked closer to me with big eyes filled to the brim with tears.

"But why? No Cullen woman has ever missed Esme's garden party, and the ball is always hosted by the family as a whole."

Frustrated, I snapped, saying, "That's just it! I'm not a Cullen, Alice."

She recoiled like I had just struck her. Her tears fell as she whispered, "But you are. Why can't you see that?"

I winced knowing I fucked up. I hated knowing I caused Alice's tears, and I wrapped my arms around my tiny friend.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I didn't mean to make you cry."

With a sniffle she said, "Think of this as your coming out, Bella. It's important that society recognizes you as one of us. It will open so many doors for you. You could use the connections our family has to help build a great future." She stopped talking and looked like she was struggling to find her words. "I didn't want to tell you, but Lauren has started some pretty foul gossip since she's left."

I blanched, knowing full well the horrible, albeit truthful, things Lauren could have said about me.

Alice quickly saw the look of dread on my face, took it between her two tiny hands, and said, "Whatever is being said is coming from a jealous, shallow, vindictive, little troublemaker. You have to show them what she says has no merit."

"But, Alice…"

"No 'buts'. She's counting on you not being there. She wants it to look like you're hiding something, and we both know anything that comes out of her mouth is pure and utter bullshit. No, Bella, when you show up looking glamorous on Edward's arm, and you show them the Bella we've come to love, she will be made a laughing stock."

"Edward?" I squeaked.

"Jeebus, I forgot to tell you that too," she muttered. "You'll be going as his date."

"I don't know, Alice."

I could just picture it. Edward embarrassed because he was stuck with the broken girl who obviously felt_something_ for him. Even if that girl was confused about what those feelings were. I knew he listened to that stupid recording, and I was scared of what he might think. I didn't care what Carmen said; there was no way Edward could possibly feel anything for me. Not that I wanted him to.

"You have to go with Edward," Alice whined. "You can protect each other."

"Protect each other from what?"

"From the jealous cunts trying to steal Edward from you, and from the judgmental twats who will try to find any miniscule flaw in you, and then blow it way out of proportion," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

My jaw dropped in shock at the terms she used to describe the people they associated with. I didn't want to go to a ball or a garden party full of 'cunts' and 'twats'.

"Alice!" I admonished once I collected my jaw from the floor. I blinked dumbly, re-thinking what she had said. "And what do you mean steal Edward from me?"

She rolled her eyes, exasperated, and said, "Fine, protect him from the nauseating skanks that will try to maul him since he's no longer with Lauren."

Although my feelings on the annoying, drool worthy Edward were still wishy-washy, the thought of a bunch of Lauren clones molesting him caused my teeth to grind painfully.

Alice went on playing live paper-doll or Bella Barbie as I liked to call it, while I mulled over the notion of going to their fancy ball and garden party. After she bought two of the first dresses I tried on, along with other dresses I 'simply had to have', we were on our way out of the parking lot. Instead of heading for the highway, she turned into another shopping center.

"No. No more shopping, Ali," I groaned.

After parking, she turned a blinding smile in my direction. It was the kind of smile that looked like it hurt her face, and in all honesty, it was creeping me the fuck out. Finally I snapped, "What?"

"You called me Ali." I stared at her, wondering if that explanation for her bizarre smile was supposed to mean something. "You gave me a nickname, Bella. Don't you know what that means?"

I again stared at her stupidly.

"It means we're forming a tighter bond," she squealed before lunging her tiny body over the consol between the two car seats, as she took me in her tiny arms.

Since we were still strapped into our seats, her spontaneous hug was more than a little uncomfortable. I pulled away from her and noticed the wetness that clung to her thick black eyelashes.

"Oh, knock it off, Alice."

She pouted, no doubt missing the new moniker I gave her. She would just have to wait for that shit to come naturally. I looked at the store front we were parked in front of, and I said, "Bags of Wags?"

Alice nodded excitedly.

"Everybody wanted it to be a surprise, but I figured, by the end of the day, you might be all surprised out. Carlisle and Esme got you a dog! She's so sweet and perfect, and I know you'll love her," she went on, ignoring what I'm sure was another dumb look on my face.

"What the hell am I suppose to do with a dog, Alice," I nearly shrieked. I couldn't even take care of myself. How the hell was I supposed to be responsible for another living being?

She rolled her eyes at my panic-stricken face and said, "Jeezy creezy, B. It's not like you're going to accidently kill her or anything. Dad did some research on pet therapy. It seems having a furry friend is healthy! You could heal each other."

"Each other?" I asked.

Her excitement dulled as she softly said, "Yeah, you're not the only one who's been traumatized. Leah used to be a police dog. Both she and her partner got shot, and he died. It left her shaken and without a home. You'll be good for her, Bella."

She giggled, drastically changing the mood that surrounded us.

"She hates Edward," she said between giggles.

"What?" I gasped.

"Whenever he gets too close to her, she growls at him," she explained.

For some reason, knowing my new dog had something against the nearly perfect Edward Cullen made my fucking day. We bought a plush dog bed with a skull design and a matching collar to give to my bad-ass dog. She faced down gunmen and bared her teeth at gods, and I loved her already.

When we pulled into the driveway, Alice parked near the front door instead of near the garage like she normally did. I arched an eyebrow at her, and she gave me an innocent stare that I didn't trust for a second. The pix was up to something.

Alice rolled her eyes again before dragging me inside. The first thing I saw was the entire Cullen family standing in the foyer, ready to welcome me back. In front of the pack, so to speak, was a beautiful snow dog on a leash held by Carlisle.

Esme quickly made her way to me, hugged me close to her body, and whispered in my ear, "Welcome home, Bella."

With those words any worry or anticipation I felt about returning melted away. I wasn't some charity case to the Cullen's; I was one of them, and I was home. Esme brought me further into the house, and Leah was straining at the leash trying to meet me.

"Can I pet her?" I asked.

Carlisle smiled and slowly approached with the curious dog. I tentatively reached my hand out and let her sniff me. She surprised me by giving my palm a lick, and I chuckled at her sloppy doggy kiss.

"I guess this means she likes me," I said.

Carlisle smiled and took her off the leash. I guessed he was worried she might bite me. Leah simply began a though investigation of my pant legs. I must have smelled fine to her because the pooch sat down right at my feet like she was claiming me as her human.

"Oh, yeah. She likes you tons more than she did Eddie Boy," Emmett remarked.

I looked over at the bronze-haired man and lifted my eyebrows.

Edward huffed before saying, "I don't know why she doesn't like me. It's not like I did anything to provoke her."

After everyone had a good laugh at Edward's expense, Alice dragged me to the living room where there was a stack of presents wrapped on the coffee table. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Now don't start, B. It's customary for people to give welcome home gifts," Alice grumbled while dragging me all the way to the couch.

I unceremoniously sat down, and Alice took a seat to my right, while Esme sat down on my left. Rose daintily folded herself into a seating position on the floor, next to the table. Emmett, not one to be away from his wife, moved an ottoman behind her and sat there. Jasper perched himself on the couch arm behind Alice, and Carlisle reclined comfortably on the floor, across from me. His legs were stretched out in front of him and his ankles were crossed, while he leaned back on his palms. I noticed, with a smile, as Edward waited for Leah to get comfortable next to the couch, before he picked his spot on an armchair, as far away from her as possible.

A present was thrust before me, and Alice said in an excited voice, "This one is from me, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett."

I slowly ripped the paper off and pried open the lid. Inside was a set of car keys. I sputtered like an old motor boat. Words truly failed me, and I probably looked like that stupid singing catfish that people mounted on their walls.

"Relax, Bella," Emmett said while chuckling. "It's an old used truck that we had restored. Alice and Jasper bought it, and Rosie and I paid for the restoration. It's waiting for you in the garage."

"Yes, Bella. Please don't worry about how much it cost. You need a vehicle here in case you want to get away," Carlisle explained reasonably.

Esme nodded her head and took my hand in hers. I looked into her eyes as she said, "Bella we are so sorry. You were here for a week without a way to leave on your own, and you probably felt cooped up. We didn't realize how important having a car was for you, whether you yourself realized it. Please accept their gift."

I nodded my head finding it hard to deny Esme anything. As soon as I turned around, another present was thrust under my nose.

"Now that that's settled, open this one next. It's from me," Alice said with a proud smile on her face.

I opened the wrapping while grumbling, "Ali, a car is more than enough."

The family laughed while she stuck her tongue out at me, before saying, "This gift hardly cost anything."

I opened the lid and saw a single cross on a chain with other strands surrounding it. It was tiny, just like my friend, and it was perfect. I looked at her with tears in my eyes.

She blinked back her own tears and said, "It's nothing to cry over, B. We all got you one."

I looked at the other gifts on the table and realize all but the exception of one were the size of jewelry boxes. Jasper was the next to give me his gift and the rest followed. Jasper's cross had a flow shape to it and stood alone on a simple chain, while Emmett's resembled a charm bracelet. I laughed looking at all the crosses and clunky beads on that sucker, but I made sure to thank him for his thoughtfulness. Rose's necklace had three different length strands, each ending with a different cross. It looked simple and elegant, and I noticed I could see their own personal traits reflected in their gifts.

Along with giving me Leah, Carlisle and Esme gave me two more crosses. One was clearly more expensive than the other. It was in the shape of a rosary, and I wondered how much they spent on me. The other was on a black beaded chain and had intricate wire work on the cross. Esme told me it was for everyday wear. Like I normally frequented the opera.

Edward's gifts were last. The cross he gave me wasn't really a cross but more like a dagger on a chain that resembled a rosary. Secretly, it was my favorite. He looked around shyly, and I noticed a slight blush on his cheeks when he handed me his second gift. He stayed too long next to the couch, because Leah lifted her head, and I heard a low growl coming from her. Before I could scold her, he quickly went back to his seat muttering something about a she-beast.

I opened the box and lifted a piece of tissue paper to reveal a beautiful, black leather-bound study bible. I took it out of the box and slowly cracked it open. I saw my name under the words 'Presented to' and under the word 'By', there was an inscription.

"So you never have to wander far to find solace. – Edward."

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**A/N: You can say it…. **_**Awwwwww**_**. Quick note, the semester's starting this week, I'm thinking of posting twice a week. It'll give me time to go over the chapters and stay focused on my studies ;)**


	11. Spark

**It's not a very long chapter but it's critical. No visuals this time. Sorry, guys, but when I originally posted things were hectic at school and I wasn't able to pull a Polyvore together. I know some of you like them as much as I do.**

**As always…**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.**

* * *

_You see her, you can't touch her  
You hear her, you can't hold her  
You want her, you can't have her  
You want to, but she won't let you_

"_Auf Achse" by Franz Ferdinand_

**EPOV**

As Bella opened the box that held the bible I got her, my heart was nearly thumping out of my chest. I would have gone in with my siblings with their gift, but when I found out about the death trap they intended to give her, I told them I'd find something else. Seriously, that hunk of metal didn't even have air bags, and they thought is was a brilliant gift. If I had my way she would be in something that guaran-fucking-teed her safety. The only problem was I knew Bella had a problem with us spending, what she saw as, an obscene amount of money on her.

She gently peeled away the tissue paper that separated her from her gift, and I worried what she might be thinking. When she disappeared Sunday we were frantically trying to figure out where she was headed. It was Esme who figured she would be going to a motel. And for what? A freaking bible. Shit, I'd buy her an entire library full of the Holy Book and any other one, if it meant keeping Bella from going to that shit hole.

Bella took the book out of the box I wrapped it in and took a peek inside. I knew she would find the inscription I left for her. I hoped it wasn't too pretentious of me to sign it the way I did. Christ, who signs a bible anyway? It's not like I wrote the damn thing. I fought with the urge to run my hand through my hair. Would she put two and two together and realized I felt something for her? Would she know how badly I missed her, when she read the desperate message begging her not to leave again?

Without saying a word, Bella stood and headed away from the group. She had her back to the family and stood, looking off into space. I fucking knew I should have gotten her something else!

I stood slowly, as did the rest of my family. I was weary of what Bella was doing. Was she thinking about taking off again? Did my gift somehow make her uncomfortable? Even the damn dog, with her uneasy stance, was starting to whine at the possibility of Bella leaving.

I didn't even realize Bella rushing in my direction; I was so preoccupied with the mutt. She surprised me by throwing her arms around my neck and brought her body flush with mine. My hands and arms acted on their own accord and wrapped around her tiny frame. My right hand pressed against the small of her back and my left gently cupped the back of her head as she leaned into me. The only two people there were Bella and I. The hell with the rest of the world; it faded away.

I felt a shiver of excitement as her scent invaded my senses, and I felt the current of electricity pass through us. If Emmett's incessant complaints were a second later, I would have been mortified if Bella discovered the direction my blood was starting to collect. Luckily, at his voice, Bella ripped herself from my arms.

"That ain't right! He gets you a book while we get you a _car_, and he gets the hug?"

While both Rose and Alice slapped Emmett upside his head, Bella stepped away with her cheeks stained with embarrassment. I so badly wanted to tell her she was free to hug me like that any time she wanted.

While everybody followed, as Emmett dragged Bella out to "check out her new ride", Esme stayed behind with me. Seeing Bella climb into that tetanus truck would only spike my nervousness of her driving the damn thing.

"I'm proud of you, Edward."

I nodded my head. Carlisle and Esme always told me and my brother and sister, how proud they were of us. I never said "You're welcome" because one, it sounded weird, and two, I felt it was my job to make them proud.

"It was a beautiful gift, the bible."

I gave her a modest smile, even though I was proud as hell that Bella was thrilled about the simple gift.

"You like her," she said in an insightful voice. It wasn't a question. My mother knew me well enough.

Taking a deep breath, I asked, "Is this where you kick me out?" She turned toward me with a rueful smile. "Why? Bella didn't look bothered by my token."

"I want her to feel safe here, Edward. She'll need a place to go to when things with you get too stressful." I opened my mouth to object. I was ready to tell her I would never cause Bella that stress, when Esme softly placed her hand over my mouth and continued. "Every girl needs a place to escape and sort out her thoughts about a boy. It might be weird for her if you lived here too."

I lowered my head while giving her a nod. I understood what she said, but I felt like I was just reunited with Bella. I hated the thought of not getting to see her everyday. The past week nearly killed me.

Esme saw the pitiful look on my face and said softly, "It doesn't mean you can't come over. In fact, I expect you here every night for dinner." I smiled, hoping Bella might start cooking again.

"I'll give you one week," Esme said while giving me a sad smile. She raised her dainty hand and laid it softly on my left cheek. "You know I love you, right?"

I took my mother in my arms, hoping she could feel all the love I had for her.

"Treat her right, Edward."

~C~C~C~

I groaned as I looked down at the brown eyed beauty. She had a playful smirk on her lips, and I was trying to decide if I was the luckiest bastard alive, or if I was going straight to hell for the sinful pleasures I would gladly take from her.

Her pink tongue darted out and collected the pre-cum that had collected on the tip of my cock. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and I moaned at how sensitive the crown of my dick was.

My eyes shot open as I felt the warmth of her mouth engulf me. It felt so fucking good. The suction she applied with the stroking movements of her soft hands nearly had me blow my load. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it was wrong. She shouldn't be going down on me. She was better than that. She was a goddess who deserved to be worshiped.

I surprised her by swinging her body around so her delicious pussy was above me. I let my nose graze through her fold as I inhaled her heady scent.

"Edward," she whimpered.

I soothed her with a shushing sound and told her how beautiful she was. I slowly traced the outsides of her hips with my fingers, hoping she would relax enough for me to get a taste.

When I felt her mouth cover me again, I took one long drag of my tongue down her slit. We both groaned each sending sensation where our mouths connected to flesh. She tasted so fucking good. Like a spicy, tangy fruit all for me.

I lapped at her dripping pussy and began rocking my hips. I wanted to feel her arousal drip down _my_ chin. I wanted to know _I_ was the one responsible for her pleasure. I wanted to hear her cry _my _name when she fed me those delicious juices.

She squirmed and bucked against my tongue, and I was drunk on her essence. I brought one arm around her body to anchor her to me and my other hand to play with her folds. I slowly spread them apart and dipped the tip of my tongue into her. She stilled her ministrations on my aching cock and whimpered at the intrusion.

When she eagerly went back to her attentions, I moved to circle her clit with my tongue. It was getting harder to hold off my orgasm and I grunted at the effort it took not to give her greedy mouth what it wanted.

I lapped faster at her clit and began pumping a finger inside of her. She rocked against it, and I added a second one to the mix. I almost stopped when I felt her tiny hand cup and squeeze my balls, but I was a selfish fucker and I wanted her cum.

I sucked her clit into my mouth and was rewarded when I gently bit down. Not only was her arousal my gift, but my goddess took me all the way down her throat.

"BELLA!" I shouted, while feeling my climax wrack through my body.

My eyes shot open and I was immediately confused. I was alone. Bella wasn't perched on top of me, and I wasn't drinking the sweetest gift known to man. It was a fucking dream.

My hand instantly went to my chest, afraid of any injury I might have taken. The first time I dreamt of Bella like that, I was woken up by Laurens fist to my chest. Instead my hand met sticky jizz.

It was official. I was going to hell.

~C~C~C~

With everything that happened with Bella I lost track with the outside world. I heard her and Alice in the kitchen and headed in that direction, while fishing my phone from my pocket. I scrolled down the list of contacts and dialed my friend, Garrett's number. Over the years we built a great working relationship. I composed the music, while Garrett pulled strings and gathered talent to turn my compositions into scores.

He picked up on the second ring, laughing, and said, "I knew it wouldn't be too much longer until you called."

I stopped in the middle of the foyer, baffled at what he said.

"Huh?"

"Lauren's driving you crazy, right?"

"No," I said while shaking my head. Like the sonofabitch could see me too.

"Really?" he asked with disbelief.

It was no surprise, really. His studio was based in Los Angeles, and whenever I needed to get away from Lauren's bitchiness, I made up some bullshit story that Garrett and I needed to work on a piece.

"No. No, I'm done with her," I answered.

"That's great, man!" I chucked at the way he didn't hold back. "So if you're not calling to set up a bogus business meeting, why are you calling?"

I sighed, saying, "I won't be able to take on that project we talked about."

"Are you sure, man? I heard Cameron was looking to sit in the director's chair."

I continued walking to the kitchen and stopped when I saw the two crazy women in there, making a mess. They were so caught up in the fun they were having, they didn't notice me lurking in the entrance.

"Yeah. Something came up," I told him quietly.

"Something or someone?"

I rolled my eyes because I knew that asshole heard the lovesick tone in my voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Bust my balls all you want," I said while walking back into the hall to finish the call. "Listen I have some stuff I've been working on, some side pieces. Do you think you could take a look at them for me? I know you'll be busy working on your next Academy Award, but it shouldn't take long."

"Hmm… And were these 'side pieces' inspired by a certain muse?"

"Fucker," I grumbled before hanging up on him. I knew he would look at whatever I gave him, but it didn't stop him from taking cracks at me.

I walked into the kitchen, where Bella and Alice were having fun destroying the place. The countertop was a disaster area. There was flour, eggshells, and containers all over the granite surface. With questionable substances staining the dishtowels, their hands, and the sides of their faces, they turned to me with matching, surprised 'o'-shaped mouths. My gaze might have lingered on Bella's mouth longer than appropriate. I felt a stirring in my pants when I thought about the dream I had, starring those luscious lips.

"Bella," my sister's voice rang out, drawing my attention away from the flour covered goddess. "I think I'm going to put on some clothes that are a little less expensive, or at least last season," she explained, holding up her goopy hands.

Bella nodded her head and shot me a shy glance before capturing her bottom lip between her teeth. So fucking cute. Alice walked past me with a knowing smile, and I was left alone with my angel. My week was almost up, and I still hadn't worked up the nerve to ask her out. I approached her slowly, unsure of how to start the conversation. Luckily, Bella started it for me.

"Alice says you're leaving," she said with a mix of sadness and accusation in her voice.

"Yeah," was my brilliant response. If I could have kicked my own ass, I would have.

"Where will you stay?"

I leaned back against the counter where she was working, and I ran my hand through my hair before saying, "Esme finished a smaller house last year, about a mile down the road. I'll stay there. I believe she offered it to you the week you were gone," I teased.

She fought against the smile that threatened to spread across her beautiful face.

"Yeah, I thought it was ludicrous that one person needed that many bedrooms."

I shifted my position because Bella Swan saying the word "bedroom" alone did embarrassing things to my lower region. I turned, facing the countertop, and rested my forearms on the granite. I made damn sure to avoid any sticky surface while nodding my head. I played with a small bottle of vanilla extract and said, "I'll probably change one room into a library and the other into a gym."

She tried to slyly look at the muscles that strained against my button down. When her eyes reached my smirk, she blushed and gave me the cutest scowl.

"Are you leaving because of me?"

"Yes," I stupidly answered, too distracted with the down turn of her pouty lips. As soon as I did, her face flinched, and I almost called Emmett in to kick my ass for me. "That didn't come out right. What I meant to say was, Bella, would you like to go out with me?"

Okay, I didn't intend to fuck it up, but it seemed where Bella was concerned, insert foot in mouth was a common theme. I straightened to my full height, waiting for Bella's answer. She jerked her head back at being blindsided, and she did that adorable sputtering thing she did when she was flustered. I cut her off, wanting to explain myself before she shot me down.

"Please, just hear me out," I said with my hands raised before me in a calming gesture. "I really like you, Bella, and being friends isn't enough. I'm not like Emmett or Jasper; I can't see you as a sister. I _feel _something other than sibling love for you. I-I can't stay here pretending I like you like they do. It's more than that, and I want to find out what _it_ is. Something draws me to you. I won't be able to stay away from you."

"And that's why you're moving? You're leaving because you can't stay away?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"Carlisle and Esme want you to feel at home here. If you don't return my feelings, it might be awkward living together," I tried to explain.

"Would you still leave if I _did_ return them?"

I fought down the sheer fucking joy that Bella felt a fraction of what I felt for her.

"Yeah," I answered her question honestly. She frowned slightly like she was almost as disappointed as I was at my moving out. "It might be too tempting knowing you're in the next bedroom."

I clamped my mouth shut. Her eyes widened and I heard her gulp nervously. My mind screamed at me. _Idiot! Fucking moron! Stupid stupid douche bag!_

I hung my head and groaned at the fuckery that was my life.

"I didn't mean for that to sound as creepy as it did. I swear I didn't. I would _never_ force you to do something you were uncomfortable with."

"Edwa—"

"'Cause I know you've been through hell. I realize that."

"Edw—"

"I respect you, Bella, and I would never hurt you like that."

"Edward!"

Her raised voice yanked me out of the ditch I was digging myself into.

"Yeah?"

She looked down and was keenly interested in the mixture she was stirring, while she said, "I don't think I can offer you the things you want. The things you're use to, I mean."

I struggled to take air into my lungs and my eyes were stinging. Her rejection hurt more than I thought it would, and it pissed me off. She wasn't the cause of my anger. I should have expected that reaction, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

I beat the beast inside me into submission. Yelling at her would not help me win the girl. I took a deep breath and l slowly laid my hand on the soft skin of her arm. I felt the current that told me we were in some metaphysical way connected. I heard her sharp intake but left my hand where it was.

"Are you saying you don't feel that spark between us," I gritted out. She looked at me with her big, chocolate, doe eyes, as I soothed my voice and said, "One date before the ball, Bella. If you don't feel anything for me after that, I'll never bring it up again."

Even though it would pain me to walk away, for Bella I would do anything. She looked down where our skin was joined. Without knowing, I had begun sweeping my thumb across her flesh, caressing her skin. She shivered and looked back into my eyes.

"Okay," she said a breathy voice. "One date."

* * *

**A/N: Did you like EPOV? Huh?**

**Let's see what's coming up in future chapters. We have a first date, a garden party, a ball, and some visits from some old friends. Yea! (Can you guess who it is?)**

**As I mentioned in the last post, I'll be posting twice a week. "Control" will be updated on Sundays and Wednesday. Go me!**


	12. Glass Cases and Flying Fish

Yay, you're back! It's Sunday; which means a shiny new update!

Visuals:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/center/set?id=23062798**

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/first_date/set?id=25288554**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

* * *

_So, I've broken every bone  
And fought through what felt never ending  
I thought my head was made of sadness  
But my heart is mending_

_I scream at sunsets_  
_Give applause to what I can't control_  
_Then somehow laugh at how the moon divides an ocean solar_

_"Blue Skies" by Blue October_

**BPOV**

"What in the hell did I get myself into?" I muttered.

The hulking man lumbered toward me and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Now, Bella!"

I looked to my right and saw Rose cheering me on. Remembering what Emmett had just taught me, I quickly brought my arms up through my attacker's and looped them over and around his. The move forced and locked his shoulders up, and wedged his hands under my arms. I then grimaced while bringing my knee to his crotch and shoved him away.

Emmett bent over at the waist while discreetly cupping the area I had just hit. Once he managed to catch his breath, he straightened his frame. The protective head gear he was wearing was down by his side, and the protective padding he was wearing made him look bulkier and more intimidating than usual.

"You hesitated," he said sounding concerned.

It sounded absurd, really. The way he said it, made it seem like he was disappointed I didn't knee him as hard and fast as I could have.

"I don't know if I can do something like that to you, Em," I said softly. I didn't have any personal experience, seeing as how I didn't have a dick, but I heard getting hit in the junk hurt like a mother.

His eyes flared as he bellowed, "Oh, yes you can!" Seeing me flinch away from his tone, he softened his features and said, "Bella, do you know how many women are attacked by someone they know? Don't hesitate. Every second matters, Bella. I don't care if it's the Pope himself. If _any_ motherfucker puts his hands on you, and you don't want them there, don't hesitate to bring the pain."

I looked up into his eyes and gave him a firm nod. He was right. It was stupid to hold back. If I was ever attacked, I sure as hell didn't think my assailant will wait for me get my bearings.

When I first walked into the women's center with Rose, I was nervous about meeting up with Emmett. It was our first time hanging out without the rest of the family hovering. The first thing I did when I saw him was blurt out an apology for messing up his face. I thought he would make some crack about how I should be sorry for putting a dent in his good looks or something cheesy like that.

Instead he turned his serious gaze on me and said, "I never want to hear you apologize for defending my Rosie. I'm glad you had the balls to try to kick my ass, so don't worry about it. It stunned me more than it hurt. I want to change that today."

He drilled me over the next hour, teaching me ways to break free to give me enough time to get away. He showed me what to do if someone had a hold of my hair. He taught me how to throw an elbow and the best places to strike the body to stun or incapacitate my attacker. Some of the moves he showed me I couldn't practice fully because the damage was that severe. Luckily, Emmett worked with me one on one. Usually he worked in a class setting, but he said I was a special case. Hell yeah, I grinned like a fool when he said that.

After the training session, both he and I changed back into our street clothes. We were putting the protective gear and padding away when he said in a tentative voice, "I hear you have a date with Edward."

Rose was on the other side of the room, talking on the phone. She was wearing jeans, a red leather jacket over a graphic tee, and thousand dollar, red soled heels. I wondered if Emmett knew I harbored a teeny tiny girl crush on his wife. I also wondered if he didn't want her to hear our conversation. I nodded my head, and he went continued.

"Bella, I know how monumental this step is for you. I love my brother, but he's new to this romance thing, so just have a little patience with him. He's going to fuck up occasionally, but he really does like you."

"But what about Lauren?"

"That wasn't romance; that was convenience. Oh, one more thing. Don't be afraid to throw down some of the moves I taught you today if he gets too fresh," Emmett said with a wink.

Emmett's full belly laugh brought Rose back over. She saw the shocked look on my face and rolled her eyes at her husband, muttering, "I don't even want to know."

~C~C~C~

When I got to my room, I noticed the closet light on and heard Alice mumbling to herself. I stood out of sight, amused as hell, as I listened to her talking to the clothes on my rack.

"You won't do at all. In fact, I don't even know why you're in here; Bella hates these kinds of sleeves."

I listened as she ripped the offending garment off the hanger and heard the swift swoosh as she tossed it to the ground. Feeling eyes on me, I turned to the corner. Leah was sitting there with her tail wagging. I joined her, sitting next to her plush doggie bed, and I ran my fingers through her soft fur. Leah gave a content huff and settled her head on my knee, but quickly snapped it up and cocked it to the side when she heard the commotion coming from the closet. It sounded like Alice was at war with my wardrobe.

I giggled at my play on words, and Leah turned to me and wagged her tail harder. At first, I didn't know how I would handle taking care of a dog. As it turned out, Leah took care of me just as much as I did her, if not more. She wasn't my dog; she was my friend. My nightmares weren't nearly as bad because on those rare nights, I would wake up with her warm body next to me and a wet muzzle in my face. She let me hold her tight as I cried myself to sleep. She didn't ask about my tears, she was simply there for me.

"B, when did you get here?"

I looked at my tiny friend, walking out of my closet. Shrugging my shoulders, I said, "A little while ago. What are you doing, Ali?"

She gave me a thousand watt smile and starting talking about finding the perfect outfit for my date with Edward tomorrow. I groaned thinking about the horrible ways things could backfire. I didn't know why I agreed to go out with him. Edward had a way of making me feel safe and putting me on edge at the same time, and I didn't like it one bit.

Alice had clothes strewn all over my bed. It didn't escape my notice that many were dresses. I picked up a frilly number and turned to Alice.

"I'm not wearing a dress, Alice."

She huffed in annoyance and said, "But this is your first date with Edward."

"He said to dress comfortably," I countered.

She put the dress she was holding down next to the others and walked to stand before me.

"Don't you want to look nice, Bella?"

I sat down on the edge of the bed, looking for the words to explain why I wasn't like a normal girl who wanted to look pretty for her date. Leah must have sensed my distress and sat at my feet in a show of silent support. I gave her a "thank you" scratch behind the ears before turning to face Alice.

"I'm not wearing a dress, Alice. If I wear a dress, it would mean I'm dressing up so he has something nice to look at. If I wear a dress, he'll be just like the other men I dressed up for. I don't want that. I won't slap on a dress and heels to please a man anymore. Not even for your brother. _Especially_ for your brother."

I looked up to see if she understood. I needed her to get why I couldn't get dressed up for Edward. It's not that I didn't want to look nice, because I did. I just didn't want my fucked up issues to get in the way of my time with him.

I expected to see anger or disgust at mentioning any similarities her brother had with the other men that came before him. Instead she had tears in her eyes and was frantically snatching the dress and skirts to put in a pile. She turned so I wouldn't see her wipe away the tears and rushed back into the closet. She returned with a watery smile and an armful of denim.

We quickly agreed on an outfit. Well, kind of agreed. She wasn't too crazy about the top I picked. It was a jersey-looking shirt with the number ten on it. She pushed for a nicer looking purple top with lace on the back. She grumbled when she saw I wasn't budging on my decision, but quickly picked out a pair of black jeans that went with it. She rolled her eyes when I brought out the Chucks, but I could see a smile fighting to break its way free.

"What about accessories?"

I groaned at Alice and her damn accessories before saying, "I was just going to wear the necklace he gave me."

Judging by the squeal she let out, I made the right decision.

~C~C~C~

It was still dark out when Alice came in to get me ready. It was ridiculous; I was only wearing jeans and a tee. She somehow managed to slap on a light dusting of powder and a bit of light pink gloss. I drew the line at mascara. She quickly dropped the subject when I told her none to politely where she could put said mascara.

I sat at the vanity in my bathroom while Alice quickly worked on my hair. She brandished a large curling iron and a brush, and I was surprised at how much I actually liked having her play with my hair. Heidi certainly never did anything like it, so I didn't have any bad memories to mix with the new, good ones.

When I was all set, Alice gave me a quick hug and told me to have fun. She then pushed me out the door after shoving a black hoodie in my hands. I took a deep breath and ventured downstairs to wait for Edward to come pick me up. Esme was in the kitchen sipping her coffee, and when she saw me, she gave me a wide smile.

"He's waiting outside," she said while handing me a granola bar to munch on.

When I opened the front door, the vision that met me stole the air from my lungs. Edward was leaning against the passenger side of his silver Volvo. The rays from the rising sun cast him in a celestial light. He took my breath away with his beauty, and I was left again wondering why he wanted to go out with me. He didn't notice me standing there; he was too busy talking to himself. My worry that he regretted asking me out was short lived when he looked up and gave me the goofiest freaking smile I'd ever seen. Even his goofy grin was handsome. I quickly ducked my head down after giving him a tiny smile in return.

I made my way to the car and was surprised when he opened the passenger door for me. I shouldn't have been surprised. All of the Cullen men were extremely polite toward women. They held out chairs and stood when a lady entered the room. I asked Alice what that was all about, and she told me it started when Jasper joined them. After seeing the way he treated Alice, the other Cullen men felt the pressure to step up their game.

"You look beautiful, Bella," Edward said as I moved passed him.

I nearly said "you too", but managed to bite my lip before I could make a fool of myself. It didn't work because my stupid blush caused him to chuckle. While he walked around the other side, I took the opportunity to look him over. He looked comfortable in a blue button down shirt rolled at the elbows, over a white t-shirt. I smiled when I noticed I wasn't the only one rocking jeans.

He buckled into his seat and turned to look at me. His eyes drifted down and settled on my chest. My breathing picked up, and I was about to call him on his blatant oogling, when he snapped his gaze to meet mine and gave me a smile that wasn't remotely ashamed at being caught.

"You're wearing the necklace I got you," he said in an awed voice.

I quickly looked down and noticed his gift lying nestled between the girls. I immediately felt guilty for thinking he was a leering bastard. I nodded my head, not trusting my voice.

As he was turning onto the street he said, "Shit, I forgot my iPod. I remembered everything else except the damn music."

"I have one," I responded, probably more enthusiastic than necessary.

"You have one?" he asked.

"Well actually, it's Rose's. But she lets me borrow it whenever I want to. She even made me a playlist of my favorite songs," I admitted bashfully.

"Would you like an iPod of your own?"

"Oh, no. Your family has given me way too much as it is," I said with a smile.

"Okay, what are we going listen to?"

Instead of answering I plugged the device in and scrolled to find my playlist. After the first couple of songs, I looked over to see him bobbing his head to the tunes.

"Do you like this band?" I asked.

"Yeah, their pretty good," he said with a smirk.

"They're a Christian band," I said smugly.

The way his eyes widened and jaw dropped was almost comical.

"It's not what I expected," he admitted.

I tilted my head to the side and asked, "What were you expecting? 'Praise God' in every verse?" The bashful look on his face told me it was exactly what he expected. "This can't be your first time to listening to Christian music."

"When I was little, Carlisle would take me to church. Over the years, I have slowly lost faith. I don't even know if I truly believe in God anymore," he said in a quiet voice.

My heart ached for Edward. He sounded so lost. Edward turned to see my reaction, and he smiled before saying, "Are you going to try to convince me that there is a God?"

I picked up on his teasing, but I was the last person to offer spiritual advice. I shook my head and said, "I can't convince you to believe in something when you don't want to believe."

He turned his gaze back to the road and asked in a small voice, "Why do _you_ believe?"

Suddenly there was a lump in my throat while I thought of an answer to give him.

"I have to believe there is something better than this life. That there is a place better than the hell I've experienced, and someone who will accept me when it's all over and done with. It's nice to know that someone is capable of loving me unconditionally."

His brow was furrowed as he thought over my reasons. The car was quiet with the exception of the music playing over speakers, so I decided to change the topic.

"So where are you taking me?"

He answered with a sexy smirk and said, "I'm going to give you an experience you will never forget."

~C~C~C~

Pike Place Market was a bustle of activity, and Edward was right. I knew it would be an experience I would carry with me always. There were vendors and shops everywhere, and Edward chuckled at my enthusiasm. I was as giddy as a fat kid in a candy store. I wanted to see it all; I wanted to experience everything! Edward took my hand, and I gave him that damn goofy grin I promised myself I wouldn't do.

We were at a one of the fresh vegetable stands, and thoughts of different dishes floated through my mind. Edward leaned in and whispered in my ear, "What are you smiling about, beautiful Bella?"

I blushed and pointed at the pretty purple eggplant that caught my eye. He took it in his hands and asked me what else I wanted. I pointed to the mushrooms and leafy greens I saw earlier, and Edward quickly paid for everything. We took our bags, and I couldn't even pretend to be upset that he spent money on me. It _was_ a date after all.

We were walking down the sidewalk when a delicious smell stopped me in my tracks. Edward frantically looked around for whatever caused me to stop. I saw his perfect nose twitch, and he turned to give me a mischievous look. I smiled back as he tugged me to the source of the most mouthwatering smells I'd ever experienced.

Le Panier was a French bakery, and I peered into the glass display cases and was completely undecided on what I wanted. I licked my lips looking at the tartes and éclairs, and I heard Edward's deep chuckle next to me.

"Come on, silly girl. Let's get some lunch," he said while tugging at the hem of my shirt.

He ordered for both of us since I wasn't much help. My attention was still on the beauties behind the glass. We sat at a table with our food, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head when I bit into the flakey, buttery crust of the fresh made bread used in my sandwich. The sandwich itself was a simple turkey and lettuce, with a Dijon mustard and mayonnaise mix. It was fucking delicious.

After I got over the awesomeness that was my sandwich, I decided to take the opportunity to learn more about the ridiculously handsome Edward Cullen.

"So, what do you do Edward?" He arched an eyebrow, and I quickly explained while he swallowed the bite of food he had taken. "It's just that Esme says you're very accomplished, but Emmett says you're a bum."

He barked out a laugh, and I chuckled along, grateful he wasn't too upset over what his family told me. I also prayed he didn't realize I fished for information on him.

"I compose music. I work with a buddy of mine, who has the simple pieces I write turned to masterpieces. If we're lucky, they get used in movies. That's how I contribute to the household. Jasper invests my money into stocks so I don't have to work too hard all the time. Sometimes my friend and I will be asked for specifically, and while it's flattering, sometimes it's hard to find inspiration on demand."

My sandwich was forgotten as I realized how talented Edward was.

"Was that you playing the piano?"

For some reason he looked shy about the fact he created the haunting melodies I heard a couple of weeks ago. The tops of his ears turned pink, but instead of answering, he changed the subject completely.

"Are you ready for dessert?"

He chuckled at my excited nod and took my hand in his as he led me over to the display cases. After we made our choices, we went back to our table where I quickly cut into my raspberry tarte. I let out an embarrassing moan, but couldn't find it in me to care. I looked at Edward to see if he was enjoying his sweet treat as much as I was enjoying mine. He hadn't even started his chocolate croissant. Instead his gaze was focused on my mouth.

"What?" I asked while bringing a napkin to my lips.

"Huh?" he asked, slightly shaking in his head.

"Do I have something on my mouth?"

He swallowed before saying, "No. No, you mouth is perfect."

I blushed and went back to eating my dessert. After a few minutes of heavy silence I said, "I wish I could bake like this. I wish I could draw in people from the street with my creations."

"Why can't you?" I looked back up and saw conviction in his striking green eyes.

I shook my head and said, "I can't bake like this." I gestured to the nearly gone pastry while mumbling, "Even if I could, who would buy them from me. I haven't been to culinary school, and I don't have a shop like this."

"Yet."

I smiled at his game and repeated what he said.

"Yet."

~C~C~C~

We were nearly home, and I was clutching the gorgeous purple flowers Edward bought me. I wanted to deny how much I loved receiving them, but the girlie girl in me was squealing inside. Along with the flowers, Edward bought some interesting blocks of cheese, some cool spices I found, a block of chocolate for me to bake with, pretty pastas, some Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans for Esme, and some fish he proudly caught. I don't mean he caught it with a fishing pole. I mean they were throwing the sons of bitches in the market and the alpha male in Edward couldn't resist showing off his fish catching abilities. I was worried that we wouldn't have a way to get them home, but Edward assured me that they packed them in dry ice, and we could put them in the ice chests he had in the back of the Volvo.

Nearly the whole ride home, Edward held onto the hand that wasn't holding the flowers. I didn't mind at all. I relished in the spark that Edward admitted he too felt. Throughout the day, Edward took every opportunity to touch me in someway. My hand in his, his fingers at the small of my back, my hand tucked safely in the crook of his arm, there was always that tingle. He never held my hand with possessiveness like Demitri or Felix did. Instead of feeling crowded or claustrophobic, I felt comforted at his touch.

The sun was slipping below the horizon, and I wished the day would never end. It felt so natural to be around him, and the frustration he stirred in me when we first met had been replaced with ease. As if he read my thoughts, Edward said, "I had a lot of fun today. Do you think we could keep seeing each other?"

His voice was filled with uncertainty, and I was perversely happy I wasn't the only who felt nervous about how the other felt. I breathed in the scent of the flowers and said, "I would like that a lot."

He smiled and squeezed my hand lightly, as he pulled into the Cullen's driveway. He walked around to open my door for me and reclaimed my hand as he led me to the front door. We stood nervously at the front door, and I almost laughed at the realization that I was living the teenage years I missed. We both started talking at the same time, but Edward, being the gentleman he was, motioned me to go before him.

"Did you want to stay for dinner? We could make that fish," I offered. I wasn't ready to say goodbye, and the relieved smile on his face told me he didn't want the day to end either.

"Only if you're not tired of my company," he said with a chuckle.

I bit my lip to keep from blurting out how I would never tire of his company. He brought a hand to slowly stroke the flushed skin on my cheek. I leaned into his hand, and he looked down to my lips. Without permission, my tongue darted out to wet them. His eyes snapped up to mine, and he looked to see if I was against what I wanted so badly to happen. I closed my peepers and tilted my head up and to the side. I felt his hands gently cup the sides of my face and his breath on my lips.

Before I could feel his lips on mine, the fucking front door flew open, and I swear I heard Edward growl at the interruption. Esme at least had the decency to look like she was sorry before she rushed to explain.

"Good, I'm glad you didn't leave yet, Edward."

He took a deep breath and stepped away from me before saying, "And why couldn't that wait for, say five minutes?"

Her eyes quickly darted to me before she said, "We have company. It seems that Emmett invited some of his old Marine buddies over for dinner."

Edward's eyes shot to his mother then quickly returned to me.

"We can leave. I'll take her back to my place, and you can call me when they've left," he said in a steely voice.

"It's no use. Emmett has been bragging about Bella's extraordinary culinary abilities, and they are excited about having a home cooked meal," Esme said while offering me an apologetic smile.

I could tell whoever these "buddies" were, they put the Cullens on alert. I squared my shoulders and gave Esme a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, Esme. How many are here?"

"Just three of them, but they're big like Emmett," she said.

"Bella, you don't have to cook for them," Edward said with a pleading voice.

I put my hand on his shoulder and stood on my tiptoes to place a light kiss on his cheek. I didn't care that Esme saw our quasi, first kiss. I wanted him to know I would rather stay with him than feed Emmett's friends. While my face was next to his, I whispered into his ear, "Don't worry. I won't feed them our fish."

He hugged me to his body before releasing me. He took my hand in his once again, and we followed Esme in to greet our guests.

* * *

**A/N: ****I hope you liked their first date. Let me know what you thought. I'm really going to try to respond to reviews. Normally I won't do this on , but for this I think I can manage ;)**


	13. Codename: Alpha Charlie Edmund?

**I have a confession to make. When I wrote this, I didn't see Taylor Lautner as Jacob. He's too young and wholesome so I re-cast him (lol). Check out who I had in mind by clicking on the link below. Please don't be mad!**

**Visuals:**

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/pack/set?id=25364381**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.**

* * *

_I´m so tired of the same old crud  
Sweet baby I need fresh blood  
Whoo!  
Howl  
The moon shines on the autumn sky  
Growin´ cold the leaves all die  
I´m more alone than I´ve ever been  
Help me out of the shape I´m in_

"_Fresh Blood" by Eels_

**Jacob POV**

The screen from my cell phone lit up the tiny bedroom. No sound; just the buzz from being set to vibrate. I reached over and picked it up from the nightstand. Before I could get it to my ear, I heard Cujo's deep voice say, "You busy?"

I looked at the naked redhead sprawled across my chest, knowing it meant I was leaving New York if I said 'no'. I slid from under the girl's body and sat on the edge of the bed. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes I answered, "Nah. Whatcha got for me?"

"I'm calling in a solid."

I chuckled at the son a bitch on the other end. It sounded like I wasn't going to get paid.

"I didn't know we were keeping score," I said.

"I'm serious, man. I need you to look into something for me."

"Alright already. Let me get a pencil and some paper."

I stood and realized I was still naked. Not that being stark naked bothered me any, especially since I was just with a hot piece of tail, but it was a bit nippy. I scrounged around for some scrap paper while Cujo waited patiently on the line.

"Hit me," I said, balancing the tiny device between my shoulder and ear while I took the info he spit out.

"Isabella Swan. Mother: Renée, stepfather: Phil. Both LKWs: Jacksonville, Florida. I want tabs on both. Father: Charlie Swan. LKWs: Phoenix, Arizona. I want to know what he's up to too. Get back to me when you got something."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled.

"One more thing, Isabella was not a runaway. I know that's what you'll dig up, but it's inaccurate. I know that pup you got running after you will be chomping at the bit if that were the case."

Honestly, I didn't know what to make of it, but I knew I would soon find out.

"White," I smiled at the old codename; it was 'Alpha' now. "I want you to play this close to the chest. Bella is special to my family."

His confession left me pretty fucking speechless. Men in our line of work rarely got attached, no matter how long they've been out.

"Yeah, Cujo, I'll keep a low profile." I didn't tack on, 'Like I always do,' like I wanted to. No, I owed it to Emmett "Cujo" Cullen to play it his way. That included giving him peace of mind.

~C~C~C~

Three weeks later found me sitting in the Cullen's living room. It was a damn shame that Cujo's little sister managed to not only sneak up on me, but the midget caught both Sam and Paul off guard as well. It was a good thing we weren't being paid. Something I still heard bitching about from my pack.

We were only going to check in with Cujo before heading up to Seattle, but when his sister caught sight of us, she rolled her eyes at us and said, "I thought you guys were suppose to be stealthy and shit."

She walked right up behind us without being heard, which was ridiculous because the dwarf was carrying a fair amount of shopping bags in both hands. She reminded me of my half-sister Rachel. Both she and my father lived on the nearby Quileute reservation. I felt a twinge of guilt for not going to see her since I was in the area, but me and my old man were still not talking. Everyone knew I was the bastard son of Chief William Black, and even though Billy told me I was being ridiculous, I still felt judged by the tribe. I always got stares, either from pity or disdain for how I was brought into the world. Billy's tryst with my beautiful Italian mother was a stain on the tribe's proud image. Especially since Billy's wife was pregnant with my half-sister Rebecca at the time.

Cujo's tiny sister stomped her foot and said in an exasperated voice, "Well, come in."

As soon as I stepped inside, I heard the booming voice of Emmett Cullen.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Now normally if someone called us to do a job, and we showed up on their doorstep, that sentence would be said with contempt or nervousness about being associated with us. Not from Cujo though. He gave me a bone crushing man hug, and I swear the jackass bruised my back from thumping on it too hard.

"We thought it would be cool to swing by," answered Paul, after getting a strong handshake from Cujo. The two still didn't know how to act around the other. Paul felt like the odd man out since he didn't serve with Sam and I, like Cujo had. The same was true for Cujo. He kind of felt like he got left behind and that Paul took his place, which in some ways was true.

"Yeah, cool. You guys staying for dinner? Bella's food is to _die_ for," he said while his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Actually, I changed my mind. More for me," he said while nudging me in the ribs. It was good to see he was still the same as he was back then. Set him up with food or a woman and he was good to go.

An annoyed huff brought my attention to Cujo's wife, who was less enthusiastic about us being there than her husband was. _Bitch_. If I was saddled with a wife like his, I'd look for comfort in food too. I didn't know how Cujo found her attractive. Every time I saw her, she always had a sneer on her painted face. To each their own, I guess.

We all greeted Cujo's parents while waiting around the living room like this was an actual friendly visit. Sam talked with Dr. Cullen while I chatted with Mrs. Cullen. There was, after all, no excuse for poor manners.

Mrs. Cullen politely excused herself, and I took a look around the living room. Everything was tidy and in order, and the furniture had a modern, sophisticated feel to it. My only problem with the room was there were too many light colors. It gave the space a sterile vibe that I wasn't digging.

I walked over to the mantel to look at their family pictures. Pictures were something I didn't have growing up, and I found you could tell a lot about a family by their photos. If there were a lot of professional shots done, it sometimes meant the family needed a professional to make them _look_ like they were a loving family. By the same token, if there were plenty of candid personal images, it meant the family wanted to capture love on film and preserve that specific memory. The Cullen's personal photographs seriously out numbered the professional.

It wasn't long before the midget's man came down the stairs. For all her politeness, Mrs. Cullen probably felt the need to give all the Cullen men a heads-up. The blonde douche bag quickly shot Paul, Sam, and I a warning glare as he pulled the dwarf closer to his body and wrapped a protective arm around her waist.

The Southerner was an Army brat, and he and my pack never quite got along. Corps and Army don't usually mix. Same went for the damn Squids. It was safe to say we would never hold a standing poker game with the dude. I didn't know how Cujo tolerated him.

The Army brat knew my crew was dangerous, and he never let his guard down. Especially if Cujo's sister was around. Like we would ever hurt Cujo's blood. He on the other hand was not related to Cujo, ergo, he was fair game as far as I was concerned. Regardless if there was a huge rock on the midget's hand or not.

Mrs. Cullen returned with her other son, Edmund, I think his name was, and a beautiful brunette I had come to recognize as Isabella Swan. Four and a half years had passed since Isabella had been captured in the pictures on Renée Dwyer's mantel. Her baby fat was gone and it seemed to collect and create curves that screamed, "I am woman!" She had beautiful long chestnut colored hair, but it was her eyes that drew me in. They weren't the same eyes that were in Renée's and Charles's pictures. Her big brown eyes told me her life had been a little too hard and that she had experienced too much in this lifetime. The little girl enthusiasm had been replaced with a hardened weariness. Hell, perhaps it was the three additional jarheads in their living room that made her so weary.

Impressively, she squared her little shoulders and said in a clear voice, "Hello, I'm Bella," and shook our hands. Her actions surprised me, and the dumbstruck looks on my pack's faces let me know I wasn't the only one.

"Name's Jake," I said before nodding to the others, while saying, "That's Paul and Sam."

She showed no intimidation as she said, "Esme says you'll be staying for dinner."

"If that's alright with you, Miss Swan," said Sam, kindly.

"On one condition." Three pairs of eyebrows shot up at her pluckiness. "Are you good around the kitchen? If it's a big meal, I'll need help."

Copperhead's jaw dropped, which was pretty fucking funny. It didn't escape my notice how uneasy he was when Bella shook our hands. Copperhead wanted her, but things weren't concrete yet, or he'd have been wrapped around the pretty brunette just like the Army brat was hovering over Cujo's sister.

I couldn't stop the smirk on my face when I answered, "I'm pretty handy with a knife."

Cujo shot me a 'What the fuck?' look, while Paul gave a snort and Sam a resigned shake of the head. Bella's eyes flared briefly before she could school her expression. Whether it was alarm or humor, I had no clue, but it felt damn good to see the fire in her eyes.

My boys and I followed Bella and Copperhead into the kitchen. The doctor and Mrs. Cullen stayed behind, and I knew Cujo's wife had something to say to him. However, I heard the Army brat fighting with Cujo's sister as they brought up the rear. It was pretty clear he thought to make a break with the midget, but she wasn't having it. Bella picked up on his anxiety because she diplomatically said, "Alice aren't you going to miss your dinner reservations?" I wondered if she took lessons from Mrs. Cullen.

The Army brat jumped at the opportunity to get the hell out of there saying, "She's right, Alice. We can't miss those reservations. The restaurant is very exclusive, and we were on the waiting list for a month."

Everybody in the kitchen knew that story was bullshit, but we let him live in his land of delusion. Why people thought we were a bunch of bumbling idiots was beyond me. Almost everyone was fine with the diversionary tactic, _almost._

The midget gave her man 'the look' and said, "But I want to stay with Bella."

"Mary Alice, we _will_ be going to that restaurant tonight," his tone left no room for argument; neither did the fact that he tossed her over his shoulder and carried her out of the room like a sack of potatoes.

After the sound of Cujo's sister's protests faded out, Bella began rummaging through the refrigerator with ingredients to make dinner. When she was happy with her find, she handed me a cutting board and a knife. She crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Why doesn't Rose like you?"

"What makes you think she doesn't like us?" I asked while cutting the ripe tomatoes Bella had lined up for me.

"Not everybody earns that glare," she explained. "You must have done something really wrong."

Copperhead laughed, saying, "Yes, tell her why my sister-in-law hates you."

I had to put the knife down before I did something stupid with it. Like throw it into the wood cabinet behind Edmund's head to scare the piss out of him. Who the fuck did he think he was, trying to out me and my boys like that? Instead, I concentrated on my breathing before I answered her question.

"I asked Cujo if he wanted any work."

There was a heavy silence in the kitchen, save the rain pattering against the window pane. I waited for her next question but it never came. Bella stood there, the package of raw chicken in front of her forgotten as she scrutinized me and my crew.

Finally she said, "You're mercs."

No disgust, appall, fear, or wonder—nothing. It was like she was reporting the weather. "And in Forks there will be more rain. You and your crew are mercenaries, so be sure to take an umbrella."

Paul gawffed and said, "I like her. She doesn't beat around the bush. That and she's a perceptive little girl."

Sam smiled, and I slowly shook my head because I'd be damned if she didn't surprise me again. Meanwhile, Copperhead was parked next to the fridge, pouting because he didn't get the desired reaction from Bella. It looked like he underestimated the brown-eyed beauty. She could do better than him.

Sam felt the need to leave her with a better impression, so he said, "We simply work freelance now that the government no longer requires our services."

"And this is why Rose hates you, because you asked Em to be a hired gun?"

I wanted to wipe the fucking smirk off of Copperhead's face when he remembered there was still more to the story.

"That's not the only reason. You see Cujo was only married to Blondie for a few weeks when we came knocking."

"Did you not know about the wedding?"

I took a deep breath because I knew no matter how the story was told, I would end up looking like a world class asshole.

"Yeah, we knew about it. We were… unable to attend," I explained, leaving out the part where we were busy knocking off a drug dealer in Cali. "I figured he might need some money to help start a family and all that jazz."

That earned a snort from Edmund, and he said, "Yeah, like Emmett needed your blood money."

"Edward," Bella snapped.

He hung his head and scowled at the floor because he was clearly pussy whipped, but I couldn't enjoy it because I was worried about what Bella thought of us. I knew Cujo didn't need our money, but there were only a handful of guys I trusted with my life. Copperhead couldn't begin to imagine the importance of trustworthy friends. He probably saw Cujo as a goofball who only cared about pie out of the dish and pie from his woman. I saw Cujo as a friend who had my back too many times to count. I saw a friend who would never abandon me if I needed his help. Hell, Cujo even took a bullet for me once. Could Copperhead say that about any of his friends? I seriously fucking doubted it.

That was why I asked Cujo to join me. Selfish? Hell yeah. Would I go back in time and not ask him? No. That was also the reason I was traipsing all over the country, finding out information on Bella's family. After all he's done for me, I owed it to him.

We must have not looked like complete assholes to Bella after the truth came out because she asked, "Can you chop these onions, Paul? They always make me cry." He quickly nodded his head and started chopping them. She then turned back to me and asked, "Why do you call Emmett 'Cujo'?"

I opened my trap to talk, but Paul answered before I could give a watered down explanation to Emmett's nickname.

"They call him Cujo because he's sweet, big, and lovable, but in the end he's capable of doing very bad things."

Instead of denying it, Bella said in a soft voice, "We're all capable of doing very bad things."

I heard the sadness in her voice, and I wondered whose face she saw in her nightmares. Did it belong to someone who hurt her, or did it belong to someone _she_ hurt? For the first time, I felt the darkness in me reach out to the darkness of another soul. Perhaps our darknesses could cancel each other out.

~C~C~C~

Dinner was awkward as hell. Mrs. Cullen, the ever graceful hostess, offered to set us up for the night, but we declined her offer. Though with the meal that Bella served us, it was pretty tempting to stick around for breakfast. Instead I shot Cujo a pointed look letting him know we needed to talk to him before we left. With the way things were going it felt too much like a social call after all.

Soon the women started talking about some ball they were going to. I didn't know they still had those. In the Corps I often forgot that Cujo was upper crust. It was easy to forget when everybody wore the same thing and followed the same orders.

"So what time should I pick you up, Bella?" I couldn't help but both tease her and toss my line out at the same time. It's not like I could actually go, but it would give me hope that Bella could see me that way. I took in her blush, and it did funny things to the beating of my heart. This girl made me wish for more. She made me wish for things I had no right wishing for.

I saw Copperhead stiffen in his seat, and I knew I hit pay dirt. Either he hadn't asked her yet, or she hadn't accepted.

"Actually, Edward's taking me," she answered while giving Edmund a shy smile. Yeah, I heard her call him Edward, but he looked like an Edmund to me. The smug bastard relaxed and returned her smile. I had to look away. It figured that all the good ones were taken.

~C~C~C~

With the exception of Blondie, the midget, and the Army brat, we all went into Dr. Cullen's study. It surprised me that Cujo wanted not only an audience, but one with Bella in the crowd. I arched a brow at him, and he said in a serious voice, "She deserves to know, good or bad. She hasn't kept anything from us, and I owe her the same in return."

I nodded my head. So much for playing it close to the chest. When everybody got situated around the room, I began debriefing.

"I got a call from Cujo three weeks ago, asking me to follow some leads. The first took us to Jacksonville, Florida where we checked up on Renée and Phil Dwyer," I said in a clear, no nonsense voice.

"We checked both their records and their residence," added Sam, our tech guy. If anything needed hacking, he was your man. He was able to take a peek into the Dwyers bank accounts and the police reports that were filed when Bella went missing. I finally understood what Cujo meant when he said 'Isabella is not a runaway'. It was disgusting that her mother and step-father did nothing to find their little girl. If I had a child that went missing, I would move heaven and earth to find her and make whoever was responsible suffer.

"Mrs. Dwyer has set up some weird kind of shrine in your bedroom. It's like she's mourning your death or something," I said, facing Bella.

"You were in my room?" shrieked Bella. Of all the things we did, that somehow was the most invasive to Bella. We went through her records, talked to her old friends, even read her diary. Of course if she reacted that badly about her personal space, I wasn't going to bring up the invasion of her teenage thoughts on paper. She _was_ a mystery.

"Relax," said Paul. "It's not like we went through your panty drawer."

While Sam growled at Paul to behave, I was distracted by Bella's flushed cheeks. I wondered if she looked like that after cumming. Copperhead glared at me because the kid knew what I was thinking. I narrowed my eyes at him in challenge before Emmett interrupted our impromptu staring match.

"Anything else?"

The pack and I exchanged uncomfortable looks. I had come to actually like and respect Bella, and I wished I didn't have to say what needed saying.

"Like Sam said, we got a hold of their financial records, and it looks like the Dwyers are living off of a life insurance policy taken out by Charles Swan."

"What?" Bella gasped.

I looked down like a coward. I couldn't see those haunted brown eyes filled with pain. I saw the pictures that were left in the belongings of Charles Swan. His life was neatly stored away in the Phoenix PD storage, waiting for Bella to claim them. There were pictures of birthdays and holidays, and pictures of a pretty brown-eyed girl at different ages with her old man. In each picture, Charles Swan lightly held onto his daughter. Even though he looked like a seasoned player, there was a softness in his eyes, and I knew that little girl was responsible for it.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Those words tasted foul coming out. They weren't nearly enough.

I finally looked up to see Bella crying in Mrs. Cullen's arms, while Copperhead looked at her like his heart was breaking too. Son of a bitch really did have feelings for her.

Dr. Cullen asked from his desk, "So even though Charlie and Renée were divorced, he still left her money?"

"Actually the money, all of it, was left to Bella," Sam answered.

"They're pretending she's there?" Mrs. Cullen shrieked.

The three of us could only nod our heads. To the outside world Bella was away at college, but instead of spending the money on tuition, the Dwyers were traveling to Hawaii and Fiji.

"What happened?" I quickly turned my attention back to Bella. "To Charlie. What happened?"

Her question caused me to wince, and I looked to both Sam and Paul for help. Both of those fuckers threw me under the proverbial bus by looking away. I turned to Cujo and begged him with my eyes not to make me say anymore.

"She deserves to know, White."

I looked at her again but soon had to focus on the wall behind her head. Her face, God, her gorgeous face, was distorted by agony and the realization that more pain would soon be added.

In a hollow voice I said, "Lieutenant Charles Swan of the Phoenix PD, was found nearly three years ago in Seattle, with a gunshot wound to the head."

When I looked back down I expected to see hatred in her eyes. I expected her to rage against me. I expected to feel her tiny fist pound against my chest and hear her tell me I was full of shit.

Instead, she said with tears streaming down her face, "He came looking for me."

Sam said in a soft voice, "It looks that way."

Bella looked at every member of my crew and softly said, "Thank you." She cleared her throat and finished with, "It was a pleasure to meet you guys, but if you don't mind, I think I'm going to go to bed now."

Mrs. Cullen followed Bella out of the study after giving her husband a sad, loving look.

"Who did it?" Copperhead growled.

His question seriously pissed me off, and I felt the strong urge to pound his pretty boy face. Sam caught on to my feelings and rolled his eyes at Copperhead's bloodlust. Even if we had a name, there was no way we'd give it to Cujo's kid brother. I turned away as Sam responded to his question.

"We don't know. It's a cold case, and worse, it looks like Seattle PD is covering it up."

"White," Cujo's stern voice caused me to jerk my head in his direction. "I want a name. Whoever did this to Lieutenant Swan could still be a threat to Bella."

I nodded my head and said, "Before I take my crew out to do this job, you want to tell me what Bella was doing in Seattle?"

He was actually warring with himself. Tell us and betray Bella's trust, or keep us in the dark and possibly let us meet the same fate as Charles Swan. If I knew nothing about how he fiercely protected the people he loved, I _might_ have been insulted. That _might_ have led to two jarheads throwing down in the middle of Dr. Cullen's study. But like he said, Bella was special.

He let out a deep breath before saying, "Fine, I'll tell you everything."

~C~C~C~

The boys and I sat in a non-descript sedan outside of Forks city limits. The only sound was the purr of the engine as we each thought about what Cujo told us. I felt resolved in how I wanted to handle this, but I needed to make sure it was something the guys wanted to do. If they didn't—I'd handle it myself. It would be tricky, but not undoable.

"Sam?"

He looked at me with sad eyes. I knew he was thinking about the time we had a job only to come home and find that Emily had been brutalized. He still blamed himself for not being there to protect her. Needless to say, the bastard who did it "mysteriously disappeared". It was the only time I'd seen Sam loose control. There was blood everywhere, and with all the hits we've carried out, it was the only one that actually meant something to us. It was the only one that gave us satisfaction. That was soon going to change.

"I can't imagine someone surviving for years what Emily went through."

I waited for him to say more, but he was lost in his thoughts of his Emily and her once flawless face, that was now marred with a souvenir left from her attack.

"Sam?"

He looked up and gave me a firm nod.

"Paul?"

Unlike Sam, I didn't know where Paul stood on this matter. It was one thing to dig into someone's life, but it was another to possibly carry out several hits without being paid. He had no real obligation to Cujo like I did, and no Emily of his own. So it's not like it was personal to him.

After a few seconds of silence he said, "You know I've never met a girl like her before. Someone who wasn't afraid of us or disgusted with out lack of honor. Even after she found out, she still treated us like we were normal. It was like she didn't judge us at all. I've never had that happen before."

Like with Sam, I waited for his final answer. I didn't have long to wait. "I'm in," he whispered in a thick voice.

I threw the car into drive and said, "First, we get settled in Seattle. Then, we hunt."

* * *

**A/N: A lot to take in, huh? I hope you liked the pack chapter because there's a few more of them left ;)**


	14. To Feel

I am so relieved that you guys liked my version of Jake. Maella2012, I'm not even sure what hornbagidelicious means, but your PMs do make me laugh :)

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Visuals:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/cgi/set?id=25930314**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

* * *

_All my dreams are the cost  
From all the battles I've lost  
Mocked and judged, sweat and blood  
My dreams are the cost  
But crying won't stop the bleeding  
Cut too deep, I need healing  
Wants and needs, apologies  
Is this as real as it's feeling?  
Is this as real as I'm feeling__?_

"_Life, Scars, Apologies" by Since October_

**BPOV**

I felt a cold wet nose pass over my cheek. Leah's worried whine had me reaching for my furry friend. I squeezed her as hard as I could without hurting her. She was getting restless because she couldn't snap me out of the daze I was in, and it was freaking her out. Normally I'd pet her or at least acknowledge her, but when I first got to my room, I went straight to bed.

Things were different this time. She couldn't curl up next to me and make everything better. This wasn't like waking up from a nightmare.

This nightmare was real.

Charlie was dead. He came looking for me, and someone killed him. I used to think Charlie was invincible.

In my distorted thoughts, I wondered how Leah got inside the house. When I was cooking dinner for the guys, I saw her through the kitchen window. She was busy investigating all the interesting things dogs love to sniff, and doing whatever the hell it is dogs do outside. I never had to worry that she would runaway because she had a chip implanted under her fur from when she worked as an officer. It wouldn't matter anyway; she always came back.

The bed dipped and I smelled Esme's faint floral perfume. I realized she was the one to let Leah inside. I sat in a numbed state hearing, seeing, and smelling everything. Yet I _felt_ nothing, even as Esme ran her fingers through my hair. She said nothing, which was a good thing. Nothing she would say could make me feel any better, and I knew if she tried to console me, I would snap at her.

I leaned over to my side and pounded my fist into the mattress while screaming into a nearby pillow. Leah hopped off the bed at my outburst, and I turned my head to watch her just as she began to pace frantically. She would occasionally stop and nervously shifted from paw to paw. Her whining increased with her confusion, and I tried to feel shitty; I did. She couldn't comfort me, and I couldn't reassure her that she wasn't to blame.

She stopped and whipped her head toward the hallway. Her large ears perked up, and she dipped her head, while a growl came from her chest. She darted out of the room, and I heard Edward's velvet voice mutter, "Christ, are you kidding me?"

Leah snarled in response. I heard him huff in frustration, but it was followed by the sound of his retreating footsteps. Leah came prancing back into my room, clearly pleased with herself, and sat down on her dog bed with her head held high.

The absurdity that she thought Edward was the one to cause my anger and frustration, made me chuckle despite the fucked up situation.

"I don't think my son will ever get around Leah," Esme said with a smile in her voice.

"I don't know why she doesn't like him," I said. My voice was scratchy and raw from screaming.

After a few minutes of silence, Esme asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head. "Do you want me to see if I can set you up with Carmen on Monday?"

I thought about it and decided if I wasn't going to talk to Esme, I should at least talk to someone.

~C~C~C~

The haunting melody had returned. Edward hadn't left; he was downstairs, playing the most beautiful music, filled with longing and heartache. The rest of the house was still and dark as I quietly made my way downstairs.

The only light that shone came from the moon as it silhouetted his figure. He was hunched over his keys while he coaxed the sound from the piano. I couldn't see his face, but I imagined his eyes closed and a line formed through his brow, as he felt the music pass through his fingertips.

The notes stopped, and he turned his head to the side, almost like he sensed me there. He proved my theory correct by sliding over to one side of the bench. The corners of my mouth tilted up slightly at the invitation, and I made my way over to Edward.

"I hoped to see you before I left."

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"It's okay, Bella. I would wait a lifetime for you," he whispered while his fingers stroked the ivory keys. Beautiful notes floated through the air, and I felt the sound caress my skin and the tiny hairs on my arms rose to dance.

I rested my head against his shoulder while he continued with his dark lullaby.

"I'm so incredibly sorry, Bella. I wish I could take away the pain you must be feeling," he said.

I swallowed the stupid lump that had formed in my throat, but there were still no tears. When he came to a slow stop and the vibrations from the instrument were no more, he took a deep breath and said, "I should probably be going home."

I followed him to the front door and said, "Thank you for taking me out."

He tugged at his hair and said, "Listen Bella, I know you have plenty of stuff going on right now. There has to be a lot on your mind, but would it be too much to ask if you would come over Monday night? I-I could make you dinner. I mean I would like to make you dinner, Bella."

"That sound great," I whispered with a sad smile.

"Goodnight, Beautiful Bella."

He left, but not before leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.

Beautiful Bella.

I liked that.

~C~C~C~

Monday morning I was sitting in Just-call-me-Carmen's office. She was busy scribbling down the info I gave her about both my parents. I was tired and crabby. Most of all, I wanted this shit over with and to cry like a normal person. The weather outside wasn't helping. Mother Nature was flaunting her ability to weep, and I was annoyed that it was raining in the Olympic Peninsula.

"Bella, let's talk about your father first. Tell me what's going through your mind," she said.

"I feel like a horrible daughter. For years I thought he didn't care enough to find me, and I hated him just like I hated Renée," I answered in a strained voice.

"Bella, do you feel guilt over his death or anger because you were wrong about his feelings for you?"

Well there's a question.

I searched inside myself for the answer. I knew it was absurd to feel guilty for something that was out of my control, but I felt shitty for being so angry at him.

"Both, I guess… mostly anger. I'm angry that I spent years pissed off at him when he was looking for me. I'm angry that not only was I wrong, but he died trying to find me. I'm angry that I compared him to Renée, when he _never_ gave up on me."

Carmen slid the box of Kleenex across the coffee table. I couldn't blame her. It felt and sounded like I was about to cry. At the most, my nose ran. Fucking nasty.

"What the hell kind of daughter can't even cry for her father?" I asked, holding up a balled up Kleenex. I didn't expect her to answer, but I asked anyway. "Why can't I just cry?"

"People mourn in different ways, Bella. Some with tears, others with anger." She cocked her head to the side in a way that reminded me of Leah. "I'm glad to see you're accepting your emotions and not accepting unnecessary blame. Tell me, do you plan on confronting Renée?"

I shook my head while saying, "Esme asked if I wanted to go to Florida, but I have nothing to say to that woman. She wiped her hands clean of me and shit on my father's memory. So, Esme's sending their lawyer to take care of everything. The same goes for getting my father's things in Phoenix. I don't think I could handle going back there, knowing he's gone."

I rolled my eyes when her forehead scrunched at my last statement.

"I know he's gone, Carmen. I _know_ he's dead. It's just…there's no point in going to Phoenix when I'll just end up depressed."

The only sounds in office came from her pen scratching against the paper on her note pad. The sound was driving me nuts. Why did she need to take notes anyway? She was still recording our sessions. I shook my head in confusion. Carmen, being highly observant as she is, raised an eyebrow. I knew it was an invitation to share, but there was no need to unleash my bitchiness on her.

"Just random thoughts running through my mind," I mumbled.

She smiled before saying, "Yes; that happens to all of us." She gave me a look that told me I would soon be rolling my eyes at whatever she was about to say. She didn't disappoint. "Are you having problems with racing thoughts?"

With a sigh I said, "Racing thoughts—no. Over the last couple of days, I'm having a hard time focusing. It's like my mind doesn't want to dwell on a particular issue, say my father's death, so random things tend to look more interesting." I finished with a shrug.

Over the past few weeks, I learned that talking with Carmen was easy, as long as I laid everything out in the open. I had gotten used to the way she worked. She would ask questions that made me look for answers inside myself, and she never pushed a subject like she had during the week of our intense sessions. That was why I kept going back. She didn't give me answers, or tell me how I should think. I'd met a few of those kinds of asshole therapists, but she wasn't like them. She helped me come up with my own answers, and she taught me how to work through my problems.

"The last time we talked, you were still on the fence about going to church. How's that going?"

"I went yesterday with Carlisle," I said in a quiet voice. "It wasn't too bad. When we got there, he asked if I wanted a prayer said on Charlie's behalf." I had to stop because that stupid fucking lump had returned, but my eyes were still dry.

"You seem upset. Did something happen at the service?"

"No," I said with a small huff. "I told Carlisle not to say anything. I didn't know those people, and none of them knew Charlie. Plus, it wouldn't have felt real. Does that make any sense?"

She never answered open-ended questions like that. Carmen always let me mull it over in my head. So, I continued with my rant.

"If they would have prayed, it would be because they were told to pray. It wouldn't truly _mean_ anything to most of them, and I didn't want anything for Charlie to be half-assed. Then, I spent most of the sermon wondering if I was denying him those freaking prayers."

I pulled a tissue out of the box and blew my nose.

"Did you pray for him?"

I gave a small smile and said, "Yeah."

That was all that mattered. Not wearing the right clothes, or worrying what other church goers thought of me. Hell, it didn't even matter that I went inside the building. What mattered was that _I_ prayed for my dad.

~C~C~C~

"You look beautiful, Bella," Edward murmured while taking my hand in his.

I looked down at what I had on. I was wearing jeans and a white tee that had some scroll design on it. I also decided to wear the cross that Rose gave me, black ballet flats, and a ring that sort of matched my shirt. Nothing fancy.

"I'm not wearing anything extravagant."

"You don't need to," Edward said stepping closer. "And this," he whispered while he used the pad of his thumb to stroke my flushed cheek, "reminds me, did you get my gift?"

I nodded my head. When I got back from my appointment with Carmen, I found a vase holding a dozen soft pink roses sitting on the kitchen island. The card inside said they reminded him of my blush. My stupid blush that he seemed to like.

He led me to the kitchen where a delicious aroma was coming from the oven. I thought I smelled rosemary. "What smells so good?" I asked with a nod to the oven.

"It's a secret," he said with a silly eye squint. He was trying to cheer me up. "I was just about to throw the fish on the grill. Then I can show you around."

I watched while he was preparing the fish he "caught." Well actually, I was more interested in watching Edward than how he was preparing dinner. He was wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt. I looked down and noticed he was barefoot, and he looked so freaking domestic that it made my lady parts tingle. He turned to give me an amazing smile, and damn it all, he looked good. Not that I minded. It's just whenever when he looked that tempting, I would have a hard time concentrating on what he said. I sighed, knowing it would be one of those nights.

After showing me around, he plated our food and we sat at the table to enjoy it. I was impressed. He marinated the fish in a citrus glaze before grilling, and it was mouthwatering. The "secret" in the oven turned out to be seasoned baby potatoes and a separate dish of asparagus.

"Why didn't you ever cook at your parent's house?" He looked at me funny because I was holding a hand in front of my mouth to hide the mastication process. I wanted conversation, but I didn't want to sacrifice the yummy food to get it. What some call disgusting, I call multi-tasking.

"Believe it or not, this is the first full meal I've cooked by myself." He laughed at the shocked expression on my face and went on. "I went online to get the recipes. It nothing phenomenal, but I had hoped you would like it. And by the way you keep eyeing my potatoes, I'd say I did pretty well."

I jerked back with wide eyes. I didn't realize I was drooling over the food still on his plate. I finished my potatoes but still wasn't satisfied. He speared one with his fork and slowly brought it up to my mouth. I licked my lips before opening up for him. His eyes were fixated on my mouth as I wrapped my lips around his fork. I hummed as the rosemary and thyme hit my taste buds, and his pupils dilated.

With a loud gulp, he brought his fork down and said, "Can I feed you dessert too, Bella?"

I washed the yummy potato down with my drink and asked, "You made dessert?"

He looked down sheepishly and shook his head. "I decided I couldn't do the recipe justice, so I cheated and bought it from someone who could."

"What did you get?" My interest was piqued and the potatoes long forgotten.

"Raspberry tartlets from Le Panier."

After dessert, we went to the living room to hang out. Esme had lined up three large chaises next to each other when she decorated the room. The effect was a person could lounge on the sofa instead of merely sitting on it. I kicked off my shoes and climbed onto the middle one while Edward put on some soft music as background noise.

"After seeing this place, I don't know why I refused Esme's offer and stayed at that craptastic motel," I said when he joined me.

He settled next to me and wrapped an arm around me to bring me closer. I snuggled into the nook he created for me and for the first time in days, I felt my body relax.

"I don't know either. It drove me nuts that you wanted to stay there," he said, dragging the tips of his fingers down my arm. It gave me goose bumps and I tried not to shiver at his soft touch.

"Guess I'm just stubborn."

"Yes," he agreed with a chuckle. "Although, I've never stayed in a 'craptastic' motel. We always stayed in hotels. When we were little, we did the whole family vacation thing. Esme was always worried we would go missing because Emmett and I use to run up and down the halls wherever we were staying. Finally Dad had enough and told us there were people out there who could abduct us and chop us into little pieces. He said it would take hours for them to find our bodies in someone's hotel closet."

"That's horrible!"

He laughed like it was no big deal that Carlisle scared the shit out of his kids.

"Think about it Bella, he had three small children and a frantic wife. Add that to the stress that some people feel while going on vacation, and you have an extremely agitated Carlisle. It worked too. For days Emmett and I were glued to Esme's side."

"Why do you call them by their first names?"

"When I was about ten, we were at the park, and Alice was trying to get Esme's attention. She was shouting, 'Mom! Mom!' Every mother there _other_ than ours turned and finally Alice had enough, and she shouted, 'Esme!' Ever since we use both, their names and 'Mom' and 'Dad'," he explained.

"I did the same with Renée and Charlie, the only difference was I called them 'Mom' and 'Dad' to their faces." I swallowed the stupid lump in my throat that decided to make a reappearance. My voice was rough, but I couldn't stop the words that were spilling out. "I won't ever get to do that again. I won't ever get to call Charlie 'Dad'."

I felt cool air hit the wet trails that were running down my cheeks.

"Sometimes I would start calling him 'Charlie' but then remembered he hated that. So it came out as 'Cha-dad'," I sobbed.

Edward shushed me and whispered sweet things while placing tender kisses in my hair. He didn't care that I was making a mess of his clothes. Edward simply held me, and I fell into a deep sleep wrapped in his arms.

~C~C~C~

I woke disorientated, halfway under a man's solid body. His erection was poking me in the hip, and I bit my lip to keep a sob from getting out. It was all a dream. My time with the Cullens never happened, and I was under Demetri again. He would wake up and start the day by using me, and the Cullens were never real.

I cracked open my eyes and saw a stained, white t-shirt. I looked around and noticed I was in a posh living room. Edward's posh living room. I let out a staggered breath and smiled when I saw his brow furrow. He really did look like a Greek god.

My happiness was replaced with panic when he shifted his hips, and I was reminded that there was one part of Edward that was awake. I tried to squirm away from him, but he only whimpered and dragged me closer to his body. He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply before whispering my name.

What did that mean? Did he dream about me? Was I the reason for the thing poking me in the hip, or was he like every red-blooded male? Would he expect something from me like Demetri did?

He grunted and rubbed himself on me again.

"Beautiful Bella," he muttered in his sleep.

His eyes flew open, and I realized he did so because I was frantically slapping him in the forehead. He gave me a dopey grin and said in a voice thick with sleep, "Good morning, Beautiful."

"You're poking me."

Goddamn missing filter.

His eyes flew wide open, and he looked down where his body was still rubbing against mine. He wrenched his body away and gracefully toppled over the edge of the chaise. I peer over the side and smiled at him. He was nothing like Demetri.

"Good morning, Handsome."

"Bella, I am so sorry—"

"Forget about it," I said with a shrug. "I'm hungry. Let's grab some breakfast."

He looked relieved and stood, while I made it a point _not_ to stare at the huge tent he was pitching in his jeans. After washing up, he took me to a little bistro that served food he was convinced I would love.

I ordered the Belgian waffles and groaned when Edward ordered an omelet with a side order of seasoned potatoes. When the waiter disappeared, Edward leaned forward and said, "Don't worry, Bella. If you're a good girl, I'll let you have some."

I smiled at his sexy, stupid smirk. Before I could respond his phone chimed, and he dug around in his pocket for it. He looked at the screen and muttered something I couldn't quite hear.

"It's my friend Garrett. Do you mind if I take this really quick?"

What the hell was I going to say—"yes"? I shook my head and sighed when he left the table to talk to his friend. I followed him with my eyes, but I snapped my attention back to the table when I heard someone plop down in Edward's chair.

Of all the fucked up jokes in the world, the funniest was Lauren Mallory sitting across from me in an upscale breakfast bistro. She arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, and the only thing that stopped me from telling her to get her fucking ass out of Edward's chair, was another waiter bringing mine and Edward's food. Since this waiter wasn't our original, he chirped, "Enjoy the meal," and took off.

To my shock, the blonde bitch sitting across from me had the audacity to start picking at Edward's food. I gritted my teeth when I saw her pop a piece of potato into her mouth. I couldn't understand why I was so territorial over the spuds, but seeing her enjoy potatoes that were promised to me had me clenching my hands into fists as I struggled not to throttle the bitch.

"What do you think you're doing?" I spat out.

"I beg your pardon. I just thought I'd stop by to say 'hello'," she said with a moronic look on her face. I think she was going for innocence, but I wasn't buying it.

"Has he fucked you yet?"

"W-w-w-what the….who do you—"

"That was the best part of our relationship," she said then leaned across the table so no one around could hear what she was about to say. "He used to love to force me to my knees and choke me with his cock. He doesn't look like he's capable of slapping a girl with his dick. Does he? Between you and me, he had a tendency to get a bit rough, especially when he took me up the ass. It was hard to explain the marks he left, if you know what I mean."

It couldn't be true. Edward wouldn't do that. Would he?

I stared at the stupid waffles that were in front of me. It didn't make sense. That wasn't the Edward I knew. She wasn't talking about the man who held me last night. Her Edward didn't kiss me chastely and soothe me when I was upset. He didn't buy me roses and feed me delicious desserts after cooking me dinner. Her Edward wasn't my Edward.

She continued talking, oblivious of my realization, "I guess rough sex isn't new to you. I just wanted you to know, before you came along, _I_ was his dirty little whore."

She smiled in triumph when I winced at her words. Perhaps she thought I was jealous over her previous claim, but the reason for my reaction was the pride she had in being anyone's whore. She really was a stupid bitch. She couldn't possibly understand how wrong her words were.

She looked up and I followed her gaze and saw the angular features of Edward's profile. His eyes were narrowed, and he was working the muscles in his clenched jaw.

Lauren hopped out of his seat and said, "Well, guess it's time to go." She took off, leaving her nauseously sweet scent behind, but not before downing half of Edward's orange juice.

He sat down, and the silence at our table was thick with tension. He opened his mouth to say something, but I stopped him by lifting my hand, and I said, "Don't."

I pushed away from the table and walked out to parking lot to stand next to his car. I couldn't fathom eating breakfast there after that train wreck. She tainted our breakfast with her disgusting words and behavior. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy breakfast there with Edward. Eating after her, knowing she touched what was going into his body. My body shuddered at the thought of sharing anything with that bimbo.

Edward slowly made his way to the car and opened the passenger door for me. While he made his way around the car to the driver's side, I saw him talking to himself and mouth the words "stupid fucker." He calmed down before opening the door and sliding into his seat. I didn't know what to say because I had no clue why he was upset. I assumed he was angry with Lauren for ruining breakfast; that's who I was pissed at.

He headed back to Forks, and after ten minutes Edward broke the silence.

"I'm not proud of the things I've done with her—_to_ her," he said.

I looked over at my personal Adonis in understanding. He was angry with himself, and he was worried I would think less of him after hearing what Lauren said. After all the things I'd been forced to do, how could I judge anybody? I needed to put a stop to his torment.

"Edward, do you want to do… _those _things to me?"

He whipped his head in my direction with a look of horror on his face and said, "No, God no. I would never treat you the way I treated Lauren. I don't know why she needed me to treat her like that to get off. Toward the end I _hated_ her, and it became easy to treat her the way she craved. The rougher I was, the bigger the asshole I became, the more she got off. I hated the way I felt afterward."

I heard it in his voice. The self-loathing he felt and the shame over his actions reminded me of how I felt after each time I was violated. Used for someone else's pleasure and left with nothing but hatred for what had happened and for the people who caused that self disgust to infect my soul.

"I don't want that for you. I don't want that for us," he whispered. "Bella, if you were mine, I would treat you like the goddess you are."

I stayed quiet. What could I say? He thought I was a goddess, and he wanted me for his own. I marveled that we felt the same for one another. I knew there was attraction between us, but that could be caused by chemicals and pheromones and shit. He saw me in his future, and for some reason it made me as giddy as a school girl.

"Fuck! I didn't mean for that to sound possessive. I would be honored if you wanted to be mine—with me," he finished his outburst through clenched teeth.

I smiled at how awkward Edward was, and I saw the diner I loved so much coming into view. "Pull in here."

I had never been there with Edward. It was always with one of the Cullen women and occasionally Jasper, but never with Edward. He sadly nodded his head and parked in front of the diner. I took his hand and said, "They have great French toast here."

He looked at me in confusion, his green eyes filled with questions, but he couldn't stop the smile taking over his handsome face when he saw my reassuring smile.

He brought my hand up to his mouth and placed a tender kiss on the back of it. "Thank you, Bella."

* * *

**A/N: ****As always, thanks for reading and remember— reviews make me happy!**


	15. Marking Territory and Sniffing Around

This chapter is purely fluff, so I hope you enjoy!

Visuals:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/frisbee_fetch/set?id=26098605**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

* * *

_You belong among the wildflowers_

_You belong somewhere close to me_

_Far away from your trouble and worry_

_You belong somewhere you feel free_

_You belong somewhere you feel free_

"_Wildflowers" by Tom Petty_

**EPOV**

_You are the dancing queen  
Young and sweet, only seventeen  
Dancing queen, feel the beat  
From the tambourine, oh yeah_

_You can dance, you can jive_  
_Having the time of your life_  
_Ooh see that girl, watch that scene_  
_Diggin' the dancing queen_  
_Diggin' the dancing queen_

The sounds of ABBA ripped me out of my sleep, and I hit the alarm clock. It didn't work, and those damn mezzo-sopranos began repeating the chorus. I slid my hand across the side table next to my bed to stop the annoyingly infectious tune, but I only succeeded in knocking everything to the floor, including my phone.

My phone.

I leaned over the edge of my bed and swept my fingers across the floor until I felt the irritating device. I brought it up to my ear and said, "Motherfucker, when did you put an ABBA ringtone on my phone."

Emmett's booming laughter made me jerk my head away from the phone in my hand. When he quieted down, I brought the phone back to my ear.

"Hey, we're dragging you out to the park for some Frisbee today."

I chuckled. "Does this have anything to do with Esme kicking you guys out for her garden party thing?"

"Maybe. So, you in or what?"

"Yeah, what time did you want to meet there?"

"Dude, you live down the road. Just walk over and we'll all go from here. So wake the hell up and get your ass over here," he said.

"Alright," I grumbled.

After washing up quickly, I headed over to my parents' place. The house was buzzing with excitement, and I went to the kitchen to see if I could sneak a banana or some sort of carb to fuel my body. Esme was there overseeing the caterers that had arrived before me. She shot me a smile and handed me both an apple and a banana.

When the caterers left, I turned to my mom to greet her.

"Good morning, Edward," she responded and gave me a peck on my cheek.

I looked around anxious about something I had planned for Bella.

"Hey, Esme. Did you invite Laurent Da Revin to the charity ball?"

She nodded her head eagerly. Mr. Da Revin was a friend Esme met when she and Carlisle were vacationing in Paris. He owned a very popular and successful string of bakeries all over France. They instantly fell in love with one another, and if he wasn't gay, I was sure Carlisle would have had competition. I was hoping Esme could ask him for a tiny favor; perhaps he could show Bella how to make French food or something.

"Maybe you could introduce him to Bella," I suggested.

Esme's eyes twinkled with delight, and she said, "That's a wonderful idea, Edward."

I gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to find my asshole brother. He and Carlisle were by the front door, ready to go. Looking around, I asked, "What are we waiting for?"

"Army's taking ALL DAMN DAY," Emmett shouted up the stairs.

Carlisle shook his head, saying, "Emmett, don't shout." Then he faced me and said, "We're also waiting on one more."

"Who?"

Bella came bouncing down the stairs with Leah on her leash. She looked better than she had earlier this week, and I hoped I was one of the things that contributed to her happiness. After hearing about her father's death, she distanced herself from the family. Not physically, but mentally. My family told me she was walking around in a zombie-like state. She would answer questions but never really engaged anyone. She also quit cooking. Which was sad because Bella loved being in the kitchen.

Monday I made it my mission to be anything Bella wanted me to be. If she needed a shoulder to cry on—I had two. If she needed someone to help take her mind off of things—I would be that person.

I busted my ass off to make sure she had a nice time Monday night. I even drove to Seattle to buy those tartlets when my homemade attempts failed miserably. I was glad I did too. Feeding Bella was probably one of the most erotic things I'd ever experienced.

When those plump lips wrapped around the fork, I had to shift my hard on to a less painful position. The way her eyes rolled back into her head and the tiny moans she emitted would make reappearances in all of my naughty fantasies. And on some primal level, I got immense satisfaction knowing I fed her. I provided for her, and I gave her something her body needed.

She faltered mid-step when she saw me at the bottom of the staircase, but the beautiful smile on her face told me she was happy to see me. I groaned when she pushed the leash to my chest and a bag filled with Leah's stuff into my hands. "Baby, she hates me."

Bella wrapped her arms around my waist and whispered into my chest, "Let her see the real you. Besides, I don't want to close her in some room all day."

I looked over at the pooch, and she seemed confused. Normally she would be growling at me, but Bella was hugging me. I placed a kiss on the top of Bella's head, and Leah did that head tilt thing that dogs do. Bella stood on her tip toes and kissed me on the cheek, making Leah whine her confusion.

"Oh stop it," Bella said, scolding her. She went to Leah and gave her a scratch behind the ears.

"Where's Jasper?" Carlisle asked while looking at the clock on his phone.

"I'm right here," he said from the top of the stairs.

We all turned to see why he sounded so glum and immediately tried to hold back our laughter. Well, most of us tried to hold back. Emmett pointed and laughed, saying, "Bro, why are your clothes matching?"

Emmett was right. Jasper was wearing a blue shirt and white shorts. Only the white shorts had matching blue trim that also matched the blue in his grey sneakers.

"Shut up, Jarhead. Your sister got a hold of me and insisted on dressing me," he groused.

"Glad I'm not the only one," my Beautiful Bella muttered.

~C~C~C~

When we got to the park I let Leah off her leash to go do her business. It was a rare sunny day in Forks, and we weren't the only ones out to enjoy it. We claimed a patch of grass and set our bags down to the side. Carlisle fished around the inside of our bag for the Frisbee, and I went into Leah's for the tennis ball Bella said Leah would play with. We got a good game going, and every so often we would throw the ball for Leah to go chase down. She, of course, never dropped the ball at my feet. So it was always one of the other guys that got to bond with my girl's dog. Not that I was bitter, or anything.

I noticed we started attracting attention from the females in the area, especially when it got so hot that we had to ditch our shirts. I thought we did a pretty good job letting the girls know none of us were available. I smiled like a cocky S.O.B. because this week Bella did an equally good job letting me know I was off the market.

"Hey, where did Leah go?" Emmett asked, pulling me away from thoughts of my angel.

I looked around and noticed Leah never returned with her ball. We all spread out, and I found her near the tennis courts. She was playing tug of war with a player over a ball. He was shouting at her, screaming profanities. I was already jogging toward them, but when I saw him raise his racket to hit her, I broke out into a sprint and tackled that bastard to the ground.

I was on top of him with his douche bag Polo t-shirt bunched in my fists. Leah was next to us barking, and his friends were too chicken shit to come help him.

"You are so fucking lucky you didn't hit her," I hissed in his face. "She is a trained police dog, and she wouldn't hesitate to rip into your sorry ass. Trust me when I say, if she didn't caused you pain, I would have."

His eyes were bulging out of their sockets, and he quickly crawled away when I released him. I returned with Leah happily trotting by my side with a new tennis ball in her mouth. I dropped her old one in her bag. While I was there, I got out her travel dish and poured her some water from one of our bottles.

"Everything alright, man?" asked Jasper.

I looked down at Leah's wagging tail and said with a chuckle, "I think she likes me now."

We went back to tossing the Frisbee around, and Leah insisted that we continue to play fetch with her. The only difference from before was she invited me to join.

Em stopped the game to throw me a question instead. "So, how are things going with Bella? You two looked awfully comfortable this morning."

I couldn't stop the huge grin I knew I was wearing. "Great. Bella is amazing." I didn't say more because if I told them how I really felt about her, they might ask if I misplaced my balls. I couldn't tell them that she made me feel things that I couldn't imagine feeling for another woman. I knew I was in love with her; I also knew it was too soon to tell her.

Carlisle broke away to grab his bottled water and asked, "What about on a physical level?"

"We are not talking about this," I growled. Yeah we were a group of guys, but I didn't want them to think it was cool to talk about my relationship with Bella like that.

Jasper rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, man. You know we all care about little Bella. We just want to make sure you don't push her too fast."

"I haven't pushed her."

I was taking things extremely slow with Bella. As far as I've pushed was a kiss on the cheek or forehead. I didn't count that embarrassing leg hump Tuesday morning because I was still asleep. I was just relieved that it didn't escalate to wet dream level. "I haven't even kissed her beautiful lips yet."

The guys looked surprised, and Emmett said, "But she stayed at your place Monday night."

"So? I cooked her dinner and held her while she slept. Nothing else happened."

Watching and holding her while she slept was when I knew I fell for her. She clung to me, her little fists balled up in my shirt. I shushed her and hummed one of the little pieces I wrote for her, and she quickly relaxed and fell to sleep. I spent the night studying her beautiful face while Tom Petty played softly in the background. I used my finger to lightly trace the feature on her heart-shaped face. It smoothed out the little crease between her eyebrows and traveled down her narrow nose. Using the back of my fingers, I brushed them over the apples of her cheeks, and I smiled when she turned her face into my palm. I lightly skimmed her full pouty lips and remembered what it was like feeding her. I had to stop where my mind was wandering because I didn't want to suffer all night, and I had no intention of leaving to take a cold shower.

She slept restlessly, but I noticed that she calmed down after burying her nose in my shirt and inhaling my scent. I made a note that night to buy more of the cologne I was using just because Bella seemed to like it. It was one of the best nights of my life.

Jasper tossed the Frisbee to Carlisle and asked, "How are you handling the jealousy?"

I threw the ball for Leah and answered his question with a smile. "I think it's hot."

They each gave me a confused look and I explained, saying, "She's cute when she gets all territorial and shit."

I smirked. I didn't mind it one bit. Unlike when Lauren tried that crap when Bella was in the same room with us. I knew what she was doing. The difference between Bella claiming me and Lauren trying to mark me as hers was that Bella truly owned me. She didn't know it yet, but I was hers.

Carlisle laughed, tossed the Frisbee to Emmett, and said, "I think Jasper was referring to _your_ jealousy."

"Yeah man, Bella's a gorgeous girl. Are you ready for men to be oogling your woman?" Emmett asked.

I threw Leah's ball a little harder than I had been, when I was reminded of the way that mongrel, Jacob Black looked at Bella. Fucker practically undressed her with his eyes. Could I handle more men like Black eyeing my angel like a piece of meat?

"I'll deal," I said. Because at the end of the day Bella was my girl, and I would do anything to keep her.

Jasper caught the Frisbee, but instead of tossing it, he jogged over next to me. My father and brother walked up too, just as Leah returned with her ball. She kept it and collapsed under a nearby tree to cool off.

"Actually, it was those men I was worried about," Jasper said. He walked to our gym bag and used one of the towels to mop up the sweat on his face and chest.

Emmett and I looked around to see what men he was talking about. Jasper sighed and said, "Not here, assholes. This weekend we're going to the Platt Charity Ball in Seattle." We each nodded our heads for him to continue. "A lot of influential, rich people will be there to hobnob with one another." More nods. "It will be a large event with lots of important people." He rolled his eyes as we continued looking like freaking bobble heads. "Lots of 'important men' in the Seattle area."

A tense silence formed over our group as Jasper's words sunk in. Did anyone warn Bella that the ball would take place in Seattle? Would any of the monsters from her fucked up past be lurking there?

"Christ," Carlisle spat, causing Jasper to raise his eyebrows.

Emmett muttered, "Bro, how are you going to handle that?" I shrugged my shoulders. Homicide probably wasn't an acceptable answer. "I mean I would go crazy if I was in the same room with any man that had seen my Rosie naked."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He quickly looked to Carlisle and Jasper for help but ignored their slight head shakes and said, "Only that they have intimate knowledge of h—"

I cut him off by shoving him in his chest and growled, "That implies that I should be jealous of those sons of bitches. That I should be envious of the time they spent using her."

Jasper and Carlisle quickly jumped between us. Carlisle pulled me away while Jasper said something to Emmett under his breath.

"I think maybe the heat is getting to us," Carlisle offered.

I ignored him and shouted at Emmett, "I could never be jealous of any of those fuckers! They were too stupid to see how special she is. No, I've never been inside her, but they've never made her blush that sweet blush. They've never held her all night long and listened to her talk in her sleep. They've never let her scent calm and distract them at the same time. They never got to make her laugh or feed her her favorite dessert. Bella is mine! Just like I am hers."

I slowly waved Carlisle's restraining hand off and slowly walked toward my brother. "And if I'm ever lucky enough to be with her that way, I will make damn sure she enjoys it," I vowed.

"I'm sorry, man," Emmett said, shaking his head. "I didn't mean you should be jealous of what they did to her."

I nodded my head and said, "We're cool. Sorry about that shove."

He smiled his goofy dimpled smile and said, "Please. Your girl did more damage than you could ever hope to."

We all got a good laugh out of that one and I knew we were fine. Fine until I heard, "Like, oh my God! Edward Cullen?"

I gritted my teeth and turned to see Jessica Stanley a couple yards away wearing a bright pink and black running outfit. She was a friend of Lauren's, and I thought that was probably why she wasn't at Esme's little tea party. Apparently her friendship with my ex meant little to her, because she started hitting on me.

She fluttered her eyelashes and said, "I didn't know you came here."

Seriously, who caked on their make-up right before a work out? She looked like she was melting. I had to look away from her, and she provided the perfect excuse as I looked at our surroundings. "We're at the city park, Jessica. Forks isn't a very big city," I explained slowly.

By this time, Leah had walked over to investigate. She stood between me and the moronic Miss Stanley, and Jessica's eyes lit up.

"I didn't know you got a dog, Edward." She made an attempt to pet her, but Leah wasn't having that and bared her teeth at the bimbo. Jessica squeaked and circled around to stand behind me while feeling the muscles in my arms. I fucking doubted it was a coincidence. Leah noticed my uneasy shudder at Jessica's touch and gave the brunette a warning growl.

"Looks like Leah doesn't appreciate you hanging all over me," I said with a stiff smile. "Honestly, she's not the only one. You should leave… before you get bitten."

After she left in a huff, I crouched down next to Leah and said, "Good girl," while giving her a pat on the side. Damn dog gave me a bark like she agreed with me.

"It's weird. It's almost like she knows Bella has a claim on you, and she's keeping that claim while Bella's not around," Emmett said.

"Yeah? How's that?" asked Jasper.

"You know, she keeps the bitches from sniffing around."

"Emmett, don't call young ladies 'bitches'," Carlisle scolded.

"I'm just saying, it's probably how Leah sees them," he responded with a shrug.

"Mm-hm. That reminds me, earlier you were talking about Bella getting territorial," Carlisle said, turning his attention to me. "Was it because another woman was, as Emmett put it, 'sniffing around'?"

I grinned, thinking about Tuesday morning.

After Hurricane Lauren left the bistro, I was certain I lost Bella. My mind was going through the possible damage Lauren could have caused while I was on the phone with Garrett. The car ride was nerve-wracking, and I was positive she was going to leave when she told me to pull the car over in the diner parking lot. Not only was I wrong and Bella accepted my past mistakes, but she took me to her diner. The diner most of my family had frequented with her.

"Tuesday morning Bella took me to the diner. The waitress there had a problem staring at me, and finally Bella snapped, saying, 'Move it along, Flo. He's taken.' I waited for her to say something because we never talked about the status of our relationship."

"And? What did she say?" Emmett asked excitedly.

"Yeah, are you two boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Jasper said, feeding off of Em's excitement.

"Boys, your vaginas are showing," Carlisle said with a disappointed head shake.

I ignored his jab and went on, saying, "She said, 'Trust me, I was being generous when I called her Flo.' No clue what that meant, but there was no mention at all about me being taken. So I asked if I was hers, and she said, 'Yeah, and I'm yours.' Boys, I am off the market."

"I thought I raised _two_ sons and a daughter, not three daughters," Carlisle muttered to himself.

Jasper got a far off look in his eyes and said, "There's something so sexy about a woman marking her territory like that. One time, this woman got a little too friendly with me, and Alice actually climbed up my back and wrapped her legs around my waist. She bit the side of my neck hard enough to leave a mark and said to the woman, 'Jazz belongs to me, bitch'."

By the time he finished his story he was breathing a little heavily, and the rest of us, I'm sure, were wearing appalled expressions. Emmett snapped Jasper out of the daze he was in by slugging him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For thinking dirty thoughts about my baby sister!"

"Yeah, Jasper. Not cool," Carlisle said shaking his head.

We played a little longer, and then decided to call it a day. We would go to my place until they got the all clear from Esme. We were packing away our things and Jasper nudged me in the shoulder.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Bella."

"Don't worry. Saturday we'll all be there to protect and support Bella," he said.

"I'm worried about today though. I'm not there to protect her from the women that have been talking about her." I saw the looks we received Tuesday. Women huddled together gossiping about me and Bella together. Lauren didn't appreciate the fact that I replaced her with Bella.

"Oh, that. Don't worry about it, man. I got it all under control."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I told my momma to look after her."

_Oh, hell._

* * *

**A/N: LOL… I almost forgot today was posting day, so much going on. Whew.**

**Next is what Bella's enduring.**


	16. Pearls, Vipers, and Sheep

Oh, I love you guys! Special shout out to Kscullen for the PM I received. You won't be disappointed, K! (This is one of my favorite chapters.)

Are you ready for some cattiness? Yeah?

Visuals:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/garden_party/set?id=24931961**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

* * *

_Oh my god  
Did you hear (yeah)  
About that bitch  
And what she did?  
I don't believe it  
Aw, aw  
What a ho  
What a tramp  
What a slut_

"_Pot Kettle Black" by Tilly and the Wall_

**BPOV**

"Do I have to wear my hair back like this?" I asked.

Alice's eyes narrowed when she saw me fiddling with the headband she was forcing me to wear.

"Yes," she hissed. "Leave it alone, B. You look great."

It was the morning of Esme's garden party, and Alice had spent the past hour and a half getting me ready. I was wearing a soft purple and white, sleeveless dress. Luckily for me, Alice let me wear a light pink shrug over it along with some flats, instead of the pumps I knew she had in mind. I kept looking down at my fingernails that had been painted with shiny, clear nail polish. It had been years since I felt so girly. My dress wasn't too short, and Alice kept the make-up natural looking. I thought I looked nice. Not as great as the Cullen women, but nice.

Alice was wearing a poufy white, sleeveless dress with a deep orange flower petal design on it. She had cute orange heels to go with it, and her hair was in an adorable bob. Rose was also wearing a sleeveless dress; only hers was blue with sheer black fabric over it, and she paired it with white pumps. She wore one side of her beautiful, blonde hair pinned to the side. Esme, not to be outdone by her daughters, was wearing a beautiful navy-colored, wrap dress. She used a thin sash to tie it together and picked nude, peep-toed heels to wear. She looked elegant wearing her hair in a chignon. I decided if she ever ran for office, she would probably win. Screw the secondary role of First Lady; Carlisle could be her First Gentleman. She looked that sophisticated and impressive.

Alice was a flurry of activity all morning, even more so than usual.

"Why are you freaking out?" I asked.

She stopped in the middle of Esme and Carlisle's bedroom, where we were all getting ready, and took a deep breath. "Jasper's mom is here."

"Aaaand…Do we not like Jasper's mom?" I asked trying to follow along.

"Gail's lovely," Esme said while handing a velvet jewelry box to each of us. I hid my surprise well. I figured it was probably another cross. Kind of ridiculous since I had more than enough in the wooden jewelry box in my room.

"She hates me," Alice said.

"Oh, stop that. Gail loves you!"

I had to stifle my laugh when Esme turned away. As soon as she wasn't looking, Alice's eyes widened, and she frantically shook her head in disagreement.

"Can we open them now?" Rose begged.

Esme smile and nodded, and I watched in fascination as each Cullen woman opened her box and withdrew double-stranded pearl necklaces.

"You too, Bella," Esme said urging me to join them.

I cracked open my box, looked down at my own set of pearls, and was speechless.

"It's tradition, you know," said Rose over my shoulder. I was so fascinated with the necklace that I didn't realize she had come up behind me. "Every year, we Cullen women wear our pearls to Esme's garden party."

Rose took the necklace from the box in my hands and undid the clasp. I pulled my hair out of her way as she placed it around my neck and fastened it together. She walked around to face me and pushed my hair over my shoulders. She gave me a smile, and for the first time, I truly felt like a Cullen woman. This was their way of announcing to society that I was one of them.

"I love our traditions," Alice announced happily.

"There's more than this one?" I asked fingering the soft beads.

She nodded her head enthusiastically and said, "Another one has to do with our dresses on Saturday night." I waited for her to explain. "Married women don't get to be princesses."

"Huh?"

Rose huffed in irritation, "Your confusing Bella."

"You see, Bella," Esme explained, "when Alice was younger, it was all about Disney princesses. So when she was old enough to attend her first Platt Charity Ball, she wanted to be one of the few princesses there. I pissed off so many women when I first implemented that little dress code, but over the years they got over it. If you're married, you don't get to wear princess gowns as Alice still calls them. Those are the gowns with the full skirts."

"Oh," I said nodding my head. I didn't fully understand, but I thought I got the gist.

Alice huffed before saying, "There are some bitches this year that feel the need toe the line."

"Alice!" Esme chided.

"What? It's true. Do you know what the Mallory women are planning to wear on Saturday night?"

Esme rolled her eyes and focused on putting on her make-up while Rose asked, "What?"

"Apparently Mrs. Mallory is wearing a tight fitted dress with a full skirt coming from the bustle, and Lauren is wearing some tight fitting mermaid cut that just so happens to be _nearly_ the same shade of blue as Bella's dress," Alice growled.

Rose gasped and brought her hands up to her mouth. I stood there with my forehead scrunched and tried to make sense of what Alice said. It sounded like English.

"Don't listen to them gossip, Bella. You'll only encourage this kind of behavior," Esme laughed. She joined me on the edge of the bed and said, "So how are things between you and Edward?"

Alice laughed hysterically when my jaw fell open. I sputtered but recovered enough to say, "I don't know if I can talk to you about him."

"I didn't think I could either when she asked about Emmett," chuckled Rose. She was fixing an invisible hair that was out of place. "You'll get over it. Besides, I want to know how dinner Monday night went… _and_ breakfast Tuesday morning," she said shooting me a sly grin.

"We didn't have sex!" I blurted out then quickly covered my mouth and looked over at Esme.

"Bella, I'm not saying I want all the dirty details, but I am open-minded. I won't pretend my son is a virgin. It was kind of hard to pull off when Lauren would come strutting down the stairs in flimsy nightgowns," she said rolling her eyes.

"But we didn't have sex," I stressed to them. "He just held me, and we fell asleep on the lounges."

"Awwww," Alice cried, her hands clasped together at her chest. "He was a gentleman."

"But you two are together, right?" Rose asked.

I nodded my head thinking about my ridiculous behavior when the diner waitress kept hitting on Edward. For someone who had a problem with possessiveness, it didn't stop me from telling her Edward was mine.

Alice saw too much in my expression and asked if anything happened. They all laughed when I told them about the Anti-Flo, and Rose said, "Don't worry about it. What man doesn't like his woman fighting over him?"

"He didn't seem to like it when Lauren did it," I whispered.

I'd be lying if I said Lauren's words Tuesday didn't place doubts in my mind. Not that I wanted him to do the things he did to Lauren, but he hadn't even kissed me yet. What if he didn't want me the way he wanted Lauren? For some reason that thought bothered me. I was never disappointed if a man held no interest in me, but I wanted Edward to want me like a man wanted a woman.

Esme gave me a confused look and said, "Bella, he never belonged to her. He was just along for the ride."

I sat thinking about how absurd I was being. He wasn't with her anymore, and not only was he with me, but he was mine. I was more than just a ride. The realization made me smile, and not even the prospect of the garden party could wipe that smile away.

~C~C~C~

"My boy seems to have packed on some extra pounds since I saw him last. Do I have you to thank for that?"

Alice was right. Jasper's mother was one intimidating piece of work. She was statuesque, dressed in a deep purple dress, and her blond hair had started to turn silver at the temples. She looked like the no-nonsense kind of woman, and I imagined little Jasper terrified of getting the switch. She had latched onto me, and I hadn't been able to shake her all morning. However, with all due respect to Mrs. Abigail Whitlock, I have dealt with bitches far scarier.

"I suppose I am, Ma'am."

"Pfft. Call me Gail," she said with a flick of the wrist. "I'm glad _someone_ has taken over the kitchen here. He was looking far too lanky. He doesn't have a build like his daddy. For a while there, I was afraid little Alice was too much like her momma."

Rose, Mrs. Whi—_Gail_, and I were using the protection offered by the covered patio from the unusually sunny day.

At Gail's words, Rose's nostrils flared, but Gail was quick to say, "Come now, Rosalie. Esme is truly a remarkable woman. Not only is she a smart cookie, but she's good people and has raised wonderful children. All's I'm saying is, her talents lie outside of the kitchen."

Esme joined us and said, "Gail, unfortunately what you say about my cooking ability is true. I can't tell you the number of times I've set a plate of meatloaf in front of Jasper, and even though he's polite and says 'thank you', his eyes tell me a completely different story."

"That's because he knows he'll nominate himself for kitchen duty if he complains," Gail said laughing.

I saw Alice on the other side of the porch looking at our group in curiosity. I wished she would come over. Gail wasn't too bad. Our group split as Esme and Rose both drifted to find other women to chat with, and I found myself alone with Gail.

"You know, Alice can hold her own in the kitchen too." Gail raised her eyebrows in question, and I went on. "For Jasper's birthday a few weeks ago, she made him a delicious dinner."

"That was Mary Alice's doing?" Gail asked in surprise. She turned to look at my tiny friend and said, "When I called to wish him a happy birthday, all he could rave about was the amazing fried chicken that apparently rivals my own. To think, any fried chicken baked in an oven or cooked on the stovetop was compared to mine."

"But Alice used the deep fryer," I piped in.

"The Cullen's have a deep fryer?" I nodded my head. "Well, maybe there's hope for them after all."

We stood in silence for a few minutes, and I wondered if it would be rude if I left to talk to somebody else. However, Gail's unladylike snort brought my attention back to her. "Why do those women keep glaring at you?"

I followed her gazed and was met with blue eyes that blazed with hatred. They belonged to a woman in her late forties, and her light blonde hair reminded me of Lauren's. She was surrounded by four other women who kept shooting me nasty looks.

I sighed and said, "I don't know what their problem is. I've never met them." I could only guess that Mrs. Mallory thought I had something to do with Edward dumping Lauren. She was no doubt telling all of her friends that I was "the whore that lived with the Cullens".

Gail gave a single nod, and with a predatory smile she said, "I see. Nothing like cattiness at a hen party." I wasn't quite sure what that meant, so I kept quiet. "Well, if you don't know what their problem is, do you know why my future daughter-in-law is avoiding me?"

Unfortunately I had just taken a sip of tea and felt it trying to come out of both my mouth and nose. When I got control, I turned to give Gail an innocent look.

"Knock it off, Bella. Tell me why Jasper's intended is acting like I'm gonna bite off her face," she said.

"Perhaps she's worried of saying the wrong thing. Your opinion is important to Jasper, so maybe she feels her fate is tied to whatever your opinion is," I said thinking I could help smooth things over between Alice and Gail.

She nodded her head thinking about what I had said. At some time we begun strolling toward another group of women, and she stopped and said, "So what I'm hearing is, I need to do my best to reassure her that I'm not trying to separate her from my boy." I nodded my head again. "Tell me, Miss Bella. Since you seem to be good friends with her, what is something we might share in common?"

"Do you like shopping?"

I think her laughter was a yes.

We joined a small group of women that included Rose and three other women I had met earlier. I couldn't remember their names because they made earlier attempts at conversation difficult. They were talking about bachelor parties, but unlike before, they kept the conversation going despite me being there.

"I don't feel comfortable knowing another woman has taken off her clothing for my husband's entertainment," one woman said.

"I know exactly what you mean. There is something so trashy about women who objectify their bodies like that," another woman said shooting her eyes pointedly in my direction.

She was a part of Mrs. Mallory's click, and I gritted my teeth at her attempt to humiliate me. Rose shifted to stand next to me, and the move didn't go unnoticed by Gail.

"I'll have you know, Mrs. Stanley, that my mother was a famous burlesque dancer in Louisiana," Gail said with a nonchalant air. "She entertained the troops. Hundreds of service men saw her perform, and their wives didn't seem to mind. Especially when their husbands returned home feeling frisky."

That caused a couple of women to giggle while the Mrs. Stanley huffed in annoyance and said, "That's different. These days they show a lot more skin, and sometimes the girls entertain _after_ they dance."

"Well, Mrs. Whitlock, how do you feel about those women? The women who make it a profession to lure married men," asked Mrs. Mallory. She, another one of her friends, and Esme had joined us, and Esme stood on the other side of me in silent support.

Rose jumped in with, "Mrs. Mallory, the people you should blame for men straying are the men who stray. They're grown men, perfectly capable of accepting responsibility. Not to mention the wives who see the signs but stay quiet. If a woman is not happy in her marriage, she needs to speak up."

Mrs. Mallory and her friends scoffed at Rose and made comments on how her marriage was too new for her to understand. Bitches, they were nothing but a group of bitches, and I wished I could show what that bitchiness could spark in someone with my background. Not that I was proud of my history, but I'd seen women hurt each other in ways that Emmett couldn't dream of with his fighting techniques.

The group quieted down when Gail cleared her throat. She had the ability to command a crowd and used it to say, "Well I'll tell you something. If, and that's a very big 'if', my husband was to ever have an indiscretion, I would prefer it to be with a professional lady of the night."

Several women gasped in shock, scandalized at her declaration. Esme discreetly patted my clenched fist and looped her arm through mine as Gail Whitlock continued. I was strung tight at the possibilities of how the conversation could turn. At the same time, I was mesmerized with Gail and how she played the crowd. She wasn't cruel, and I had a feeling she knew there was more about me than I had shared.

"Think about it ladies. She would be a professional, so there's more incentive for her to use a prophylactic. It's not like she wants to catch anything or get tied down with a baby. Quite frankly, I've learned the women to keep a close eye on are a little closer to home. What do you think, Irina?" Gail asked the woman who was next to Mrs. Mallory.

The blonde looked stunned but quickly changed her expression to one of indifference. With a dainty sniff she said, "I think this topic is in poor taste."

With that she walked away, and the group broke apart talking eagerly about what had just happened. One of the last women to leave was Mrs. Mallory, but not before she shot me a look of loathing, like I had any control over a force of nature like Gail Whitlock.

When Gail and Esme were the only women left with me, Esme turned to her friend and said, "Abigail Whitlock! I can_not_ believe you said that at my garden party."

If I hadn't seen the smile threatening to take over her face, I would have taken her seriously. Gail, on the other hand, did nothing to hide her proud smirk.

"How could I not? If a woman has the audacity to go to a party then gossip about the hostess' charge, then she should be prepared to have her dirty laundry aired. I'm not saying I don't feel bad for the poor dear. Her husband did cheat on her for years with her sister Tanya." She said the last part to me since I was still out of the loop. "But I will not stand aside and let those vipers talk badly about Bella."

Gail then took my hand and led me to a group of older ladies while Esme followed. They quickly made room for us in the seating area, and the ladies went back to their discussion.

"What about you, young lady?"

The group of matrons quickly turned their eyes in my direction.

"Bella," I supplied, so they wouldn't keep calling me "young lady" for the rest of the blasted garden party.

"It's so wonderful to meet you, Bella. My name is Mrs. Cope," said a fiery redhead. "The lady to my right is Mrs. Clearwater, and the lady to my left is Mrs. Gerandy."

Esme said to me, "Rebecca is married to Dr. Gerandy, who works with Carlisle."

Mrs. Gerandy puffed up with pride at the mention of her husband while Mrs. Clearwater rolled her eyes. I liked her eyes; they reminded me of Esme's. They were filled with warmth and kindness, unlike some of the beady-eyed hags at this party.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said with a respectful nod to the women that both Esme and Gail seemed to get along with.

Mrs. Clearwater tugged me into the empty chair next to her and said, "Please call me Sue, sweetie. We were just talking about secret ingredients. What are your thoughts, Bella? Do you have any ingredients you whip out to impress?"

I thought about her question and said honestly, "I don't think it matters if they stay secret or not."

"What do you mean, Bella? Of course it matters," exclaimed Mrs. Cope.

"What I meant was, even if someone had the list of ingredients, the same exact recipe, no two chefs will produce the same product."

Esme gave me a proud smile and swept my hair behind my shoulder. Despite Alice's attempt with a hair band, the waves in my hair caused it to sweep forward.

"She's right," said Gail. "I gave my pecan pie recipe to my sister-in-law, Blaine, and she's been tryin' to re-create it for years. To this day she insists that I'm holding out on her. She claims I'm being selfish with the 'secret ingredient'."

The group's laughter died down once Mrs. Mallory strolled over. When her eyes landed on me, they shot down to the strands of pearls Esme had given me. She must have not seen them at our first encounter because she looked surprised that I was wearing them. Her surprise morphed into fury, but the only thing that gave her anger away was the way her blue eyes blazed with unfiltered hatred. She still had a smile plastered on her face, and I wondered if she had any plastic surgery done that let her wear two conflicting emotions at the same time.

"And what, pray tell, are we discussing over here?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"We were discussing with young Bella here about the secret ingredient to being a lady," Mrs. Cope said with a girly giggle that was somewhat creepy since it came from a plump, middle-aged woman. I noticed she hit her tea a little more often than the other women, and I wondered if she slipped anything into it.

With a dark chuckle, Mrs. Mallory said, "I always believed the secret ingredient to being a lady was upbringing. If a girl isn't raised in our circle, I find it hard to believe she'll ever blend into high society."

Her innocent tone grated on my nerves. She knew exactly what she was doing. This was her snub to me, but she was sorely mistaken if she thought I would let it slide. Before I could tell her off, Mrs. Gerandy intervened.

"I respectfully disagree, Mrs. Mallory. I believe the key to being a lady is having good manners. I can't tell you how many so-called young 'ladies' I've had the displeasure of meeting. Even with the advantages our 'society' offers, some of them still wind up rude, spoiled, and have a complete lack of respect, not only for their elders but for their hosts as well."

After a stunned moment of silence she went on. "On a subject _completely_ unrelated, how is your daughter Lauren? I don't see her here today."

Poor Sue nearly spit out the tea she was sipping and had to bring a napkin to her lips to hide her smile. I decided then and there that I really liked Rebecca Gerandy and Sue Clearwater. They kept things lively.

"Well, Lauren wasn't feeling well. In fact, I just came over to thank Esme for inviting me, but I need to go home to check up on her," Mrs. Mallory said in a meek voice.

Her face had gone ashen, and if I had liked her, I might have been worried about her. Good thing I couldn't stand the bitch. Not only did she spend the entire day trying to belittle me, but she was a bitch to Rose and a few other women as well. It didn't escape my notice that not long after she left, others did as well including Mrs. Stanley and Irena.

Sheep.

"Now that those wretched women are gone, we can discuss our game plan for Saturday night," said Mrs. Gerandy.

"Game plan?" asked Rose from behind me. I hadn't realized both she and Alice had joined the group.

"Well, yes. No offense, Bella, but we sided with you. Not only because of your manners, but because the Cullen women hold you in high regard, despite the unsavory rumors that are floating around. It would be nice to know why we stuck our necks out on the line," said a surprisingly sober Mrs. Cope.

"Shelly, if Bella doesn't want to share her story, we won't pressure her," said Sue. Then she faced me and continued with, "But I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious to see if the Mallorys are indeed full of shit."

"Sue," warned Esme.

I could see her anxiety rising. Esme was worried that I might feel uncomfortable in this situation. However, she still had to play the good hostess. She had nothing to worry about. This garden party was a snake pit at times, but all the "wretched women" had slithered away.

"It's okay, Esme." I focused my attention to my fists that were balled up in my lap. Clearing my throat, I said, "When I was sixteen, I was taken from my family and sold to some very bad people in Seattle." I heard a few gasps, but I trudged on. "With Esme's help, I was able to get away, and here I am. She took me in her home and loved me like I was her own."

The air was quiet, and I realized the few women that had remained had stopped talking and migrated closer to find out if the rumors were true. I felt Alice's arms wind around my neck, as she hugged me from behind.

"You poor child, and Esme, you're an angel," Sue said with tears in her eyes.

"Please understand, I realize now I have nothing to be ashamed of, but it's something I don't like talking about," I said in a whisper.

"Of course you don't like talking about it. It's no wonder you and the Cullens have stayed mum on the topic," said Mrs. Cope while she dabbed the corners of her eyes with a linen napkin.

"Those bitches!" The shout caused me and a couple of other women to startle.

"Gail!"

Gail vehemently shook her head and said, "No, Esme. I will not hold back. Not only has Bella had to endure that hell in Seattle, but she was subjected to ridicule and pure fuckery by those catty bitches." Her Southern twang became more pronounced the angrier she got. "If I see those two again, I can't promise I won't introduce them to my fist!"

"Gail is right," Mrs. Gerandy said. "Not necessarily about the violence part, but the notion that Bella should suffer more because of the Mallory girl's jealousy is outrageous."

She gently took my hand in hers, and she cleared her throat before saying, "Don't you worry, Bella. We won't divulge your past because that's yours and yours alone. I feel honored that you gave us your confidence. What we _will_ do is put a stop to the ridiculous rumors when we hear them. Won't we, ladies?"

Several heads nodded and a few 'of course, dear's, as well as a colorful 'damn right' from Gail were spoken.

"With enough of us backing you up, the Mallorys won't have a leg to stand on," Sue said with an eager smile.

I looked around at my new allies, and I realized I had one less thing to worry about for coming Saturday night. Esme had warned me yesterday where the ball was to take place—motherfucking Seattle.

I had a full blown panic attack, not because it was in Seattle but because I could run into someone who had paid to hurt me. I screamed at her asking if she was out of her mind. She assured me that no one would hurt me and that if I felt too uncomfortable about it, I could stay home, but it still wasn't enough.

She had to get Carmen on the phone to calm me down. Instead of babying me, Carmen took an entirely different approach. She pointed out that I was giving power to those assholes and that instead of whining, I should take control of my life. Don't be passive, be active and all that jazz.

Right.

Take control.

But at least I didn't have to worry about those spiteful bitches.

Gail was one of the last women to leave, but I snagged her just before she went back to her hotel. "Gail, can I ask you something?"

"Sure you can, sugar," she said as she pushed my hair back, over my shoulders to gaze at my pearls.

"How did you know? How did you know that there was something wrong with me?"

"I don't know about something being wrong with you, but my son might have requested I keep an eye on you today." She gave me a smile and said, "Those pearls look great on you, Bella. Welcome to the family."

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**A/N: I'm excited… things in this story are about to pick up! I love to hear from you guys. Reviews and PMs are always welcomed... That reminds me... I need to respond to a few ;)**


	17. Puzzle Pieces and Exits

**Sorry this is going out so late. This is the first time I've gotten to my laptop today, it was so crazy. The original chapter was cut because I felt it was too long, so the next chapter is in BPOV… she'll have the visuals you want. :)**

**I did re-cast another "Twilight" star. Drumroll please for Jean Dujardin!**

http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/laurent/set?id=42449636

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.**

* * *

_I am thinking it's a sign  
That the freckles in our eyes  
Are mirror images and when we kiss  
They're perfectly aligned  
And I have to speculate  
That God himself did make us  
Into corresponding shapes  
Like puzzle pieces from the clay_

"_Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service, performed by Iron & Wine_

**EPOV**

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

I looked at Alice's reflection in the mirror and shrugged my shoulders. Well, I tried to move them, but the tuxedo jacket was a little snug, and I was afraid the damn thing might rip. It was Friday morning, and we were doing the last fitting before the Platt Charity Ball. It wasn't going well.

"Don't give me that, Edward. This tux fit fine two months ago. What in the hell happened?"

"Bella's cooking," I offered. "Besides, I hate wearing Dolce & Gabbana. You know that."

"Bullshit. Bella hasn't been cooking for us for that long, she uses the freshest ingredients, and she tries to use the healthiest modifications," she snapped.

"Sure we're eating healthier, but it doesn't matter if we always get two large servings, or in Emmett's case, four."

"Don't get me started on him! That knuckle-head gained weight too, only it all went to his neck. Can you believe that? His neck got _fatter_! Do you have any idea how hard it was to fit that oversized ape in the first place?" she grumbled while roughly yanking the jacket off my shoulders. "It still doesn't explain you. You didn't gain inches around the neck like Em, or a little pudge around the midsection like Jazz and Carlisle. You got bulkier and, if I'm not mistaken, _lost_ a couple of inches around the waist."

"So? You make it sound like that's a bad thing," I said, like it was no big deal.

Her eyes narrowed, and I tried not to squirm under she scrutiny before she said, "You're trying to impress Bella."

"No." _Yes._ So what if I was hitting the gym a little more frequently now that Bella was in my life? Was it so bad that I wanted her to be satisfied with how I looked?

"Does this have anything to do with Jacob Black's little visit?"

I bristled at the name. It might have had something to do with that muscle-bound dog, but not because I was jealous in anyway. I was hitting the weights for Bella. "No, I need to be in shape incase Bella ever needs my protection," I explained.

"Sure, Edward," she said before calling the tailor over. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. Just so you know, Bella could probably kick your ass. I know for a fact that Emmett gave her the okay to pull some of the moves he showed her on you, if you step out of line."

That probably should have scared me, but, as usual, anything Bella did aroused me. Surprisingly, that included the possibility of her smacking me around. There was something wrong with me.

"Well, if you don't want a D&G tux, what do you want?" Alice asked with a sigh, and then muttered, "Might as well change everything since the shirt and jacket don't fit."

I sighed in relief and said, "Can we find a Tom Ford or perhaps an Armani?"

She nodded her head. "Edward, I'm glad to see she's making you want to better yourself, but don't let your jealousy screw this up." I went to respond, but she lifted her tiny hand and said, "I know, I know. You're not jealous."

She ended up finding me a sharp looking Tom Ford—single-breasted, two button suit with peaked lapels. I wanted to go with a double-breasted, but Alice rolled her eyes and said, "Your chest does not need to look broader. Now drop it."

~C~C~C~

It was Saturday night, and my nerves were bugging the hell out of the guys. We were all waiting to pick up our ladies. They were still getting dressed in Carlisle's and Esme's suite, while the men were relegated to Emmett's and Rose's at the Fairmont Olympic. Every year we stay in Seattle the weekend of the ball. This year was no exception.

"Quit fidgetin'. You're drivin' me nuts," Jasper hissed.

I let my hands drop to my sides. They had been playing with the cufflinks I was forced to wear. I hated the damn things. They always knocked annoyingly against desk and table tops or door jams. After a few seconds, I started to pace, ignoring the sighs from my brothers and Carlisle.

"Son, what's wrong?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know. Just anxious about tonight," I mumbled.

I was worried Bella would recognize somebody from her horrible past. I was bothered that there was a possibility that I knew one of the assholes who had hurt her. Most of all, I was terrified that if she saw one of those monsters eating fucking caviar and sipping champagne, her emotional state would slowly unravel. She had worked so hard to leave that life behind her, and everything could come crashing down in a second.

Emmett hopped up from the armchair he was sitting in and clamped a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, bro. We'll all be there. No one's going to hurt our little Bella… And if they do, it will be the biggest mistake they ever make," he promised bring his hand down to crack his knuckles. I didn't doubt my family's love for her. I just hoped it would be enough if she had to face her monsters.

Feeling slightly mollified, I shot a text to my sister asking how Bella was doing. It was amazing that I could feel my sister's irritation through a text, but all I cared about was that Bella was doing better than I was. According to Alice she was "fine".

~C~C~C~

Bella was more than "fine"; she was a vision.

She wore a dark-blue, sleeveless ball gown. Her hair was up with exception of a few loose tendrils, and her silver shawl that hung from her dainty shoulders brought attention to her collarbones. I fantasized about whisking Bella away just to nibble and suck along those bones, as she made the same sounds she made when I handfed her dessert. What ball?

I noticed she wasn't wearing diamonds like my mom and sisters, so after offering my arm I asked, "Where are your diamonds?"

She tucked a tiny hand into the crook of my arm, gave that innocent blush, and said, "I didn't want to wear them. They didn't feel right."

"How did you manage that? I need to know, so next year I won't have to wear these cufflinks," I teased.

She gave me a smile, and just like that, my worry over how the night would go faded away.

When we entered the Four Seasons, I took her shawl, allowing my fingers to faintly stroke the bare skin on her shoulders. She shivered at my touch, and I was lucky I had her shawl to hide the embarrassing bulge in my pants.

I couldn't resist placing a kiss on her temple while inhaling her sweet scent, and I whispered in her ear that it would only take a minute to check our items. We left the women to go find the coat check, but even though I knew my mother and sisters wouldn't leave Bella's side, I was anxious to get back.

And for good reason, too.

When we returned, our women were not alone. With them was an olive-skinned man with slicked-back, black hair—Laurent. I saw Carlisle's body stiffen in my peripheral vision, and I swore I heard him growl.

Jasper leaned around me and whispered to my father, "Carlisle, he's a homosexual."

"I know," he gritted out. "But that doesn't give him the right to fondle my wife."

We all looked back at the group, but the only touching I saw was Laurent's hand on my mother's shoulder. Apparently that was too friendly a gesture because Carlisle stalked over and wrapped a possessive arm around Esme's shoulder, effectively pushing away Laurent's hand.

"Laurent, it's good to see you again," Carlisle said with fake enthusiasm.

"Ah, yes it is, Carlisle. Our Esme here was just about to introduce me to the new addition to the family," he said with a charming smile.

Esme ignored Carlisle's quiet grumbling about Laurent's use of the word "our", and she beamed, saying, "Laurent Da Revin, this is Isabella Swan. She's the girl I was telling you about."

Bella looked distrustfully at Laurent, and the only reason I didn't accuse him of knowing her from before was the fact that his gaze held no familiarity with her. I placed a hand on her lower back, offering my support. I wanted her to feel safe and protected.

I smiled as she squared those dainty little shoulders of hers and offered him her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Da Revin."

He took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles, and I had to repeat Jasper's word's from earlier not to rip her hand away from his lips. "No, I assure you, the pleasure is all mine, mon doux petit. And please, call me Laurent. Yes, Esme has told me about you, and I look forward to our training sessions."

"Training sessions?" Bella asked again looking suspicious. It was adorable, the way her forehead scrunched and the side of her mouth slightly puckered. Did she really think Esme would have some nefarious plans for her?

"Yes, Esme told me you would be interested in learning about French pastry."

Her mesmerizing brown eyes grew wide, and she began sputtering, "H-h-how d-did you know?" She then snapped those chocolate orbs in my direction, and I knew I was wearing a smug smile.

"Surely you have plans in the culinary world," Laurent went on to say. "I hear you're always coming up with new creations, and the Cullen television is rumored to always be set to the cooking station, non?"

"Well, yes, but I thought I would just get my GED and go into a local culinary academy," she said.

I didn't know she wanted to get her GED. Of course she would want that. I mentally slapped my forehead.

"Local culinary academy?" Laurent asked in disbelief. "They wouldn't know French cuisine if it slapped them in the ass," he stated hotly, his accent becoming more pronounced. "I helped found some of the most acclaimed French culinary academies… _in France_! I have four bakeries in Paris alone and another five throughout Europe. Kings and queens have requested my creations. I can teach you how to bring royalty to their knees, Isabella!"

By the end of his dramatic speech, people had started to gather around to see the commotion, while my family watched with a mix of emotions, ranging from nervousness to amusement.

"Really, Laurent, I think you're scaring—"

"Okay," Bella said with a smile, cutting off Esme.

Proud that his credentials were able to sway Bella, Laurent took a deep bow and said, "I eagerly anticipate our time together, mon doux. After tonight, I fly directly to Paris to settle my business at Péché Doux. That way when I return, we will have months to perfect your techniques."

After he headed into the ballroom, Bella turned to me and said, "Why do I have the feeling I have you to thank for this?"

I shrugged my shoulders and said softly, "Bella, you deserve the future you want, and like all dream jobs, it's going to take hard work."

She gave me a teary smile and placed a soft kiss on my lips. "Thank you so much, Edward. It means a lot to me."

She kissed me.

A goddess granted me a kiss, and I vowed to spend the rest of my days earning future kisses from those soft, sweet, luscious lips. It was the best first kiss that I'd ever experienced. My lips still tingled where they met hers, and I knew I had a stupid smile that wouldn't leave my face.

"So, did you not want to go to the ball after all?" I asked, eager to forget the ball entirely in favor of more lip action instead.

"I didn't let your sister work on me for hours to not be seen," she said giving me a saucy smirk. Yeah, she knew she looked good. Fuck that, she looked exquisite.

As to be expected, all eyes were on us as soon as we entered the ballroom. The room hushed in a wave until the room had quieted down, with the exception of a low murmur coming from behind hands, discreetly placed in front of whispering mouths.

"Carlisle and I want to thank each of you for being here tonight, and for the many generous donations made to the Platt Women's Center. We hope you enjoy yourselves tonight, and again, thanks for your support," Esme said, her voice carrying over the crowd.

I took Bella to go mingle, while the rest of my family greeted their guests. The ball was all about making connections and acknowledging those who've helped fund the center. It was also about bringing attention to the cause we supported. The Platt Women's Center helped battered women from all over the country get back on their feet and offered support, both financially and emotionally. We offered them a plane ticket and a safe place to stay, while teaching them how to live independently, and how to eventually support themselves. It was a huge concept, but Esme had both determination and friends that were also filthy rich. She was no doubt guilting some of the wealthy housewives to spend their free time volunteering at the women's center.

Keeping an eye on Bella's demeanor was my main objective for the night. She was relaxed in her skin and with her surroundings. There was no hint of uneasiness, and it allowed me to watch my Beautiful Bella enjoy being a princess. She stole my breath away, and I watched as people took note of her magnificence.

I was surprised at how many people were cordial to my angel. We only received a few looks of open hostility, most from the Mallory camp. Not that that was a surprise. Unfortunately, at one point Lauren herself managed to "run into" my goddess and me.

"Well, isn't this sweet?" She turned to give Bella a judgmental stare. She sniffed, clearly pleased in _her_ opinion that Bella didn't look as good as she did. Delusional wasn't a strong enough word to describe Lauren.

She was wearing a dress that was nearly the same shade as Bella's. However, where as Bella's gown was elegant and classy, Lauren's gown fit her like a glove, leaving little to the imagination. The only part of her dress that wasn't glued to her body was the portion of dress that hid the shape of her calves. I guessed she wanted to preserve _some_ modesty.

"I didn't know they rented rooms by the hour at this hotel," she sneered. Emmett was right, there were bitches sniffing around.

I took a step toward her, and even though the charity was to help stop violence against women, I wanted to knock that smirk from her face. She would not disrespect Bella in that manner. Whether it was in a room filled with elitist snobs or at the local grocer with Joe Normal, my Beautiful Bella didn't deserve her bullshit.

Before I could leave Bella's side, she clutched my hand in hers, trapping me next to her. "Stop it, Lauren," she said. People had stopped what they were doing to witness the confrontation. "If you haven't noticed, we are at a charity event to support a wonderful cause. You're making a spectacle of yourself."

She was beautiful and graceful, handling Lauren with poise that rivaled the royalty Laurent was ranting about. She was far classier than Lauren could ever hope to be, and I was in awe of her.

"Why you little wh—"

"Lauren Mallory, is that you?" Mrs. Gerandy asked as she made her way over, interrupting the only word that Lauren could say that would cause me to seek revenge. "I didn't know you got _married_," she said loud enough to cause more eyes to snap in our direction. Lauren's plans had backfired, and her dress brought her new, unwanted attention. Mrs. Gerandy then leaned over to me and stage whispered, "Bet you're relieved to dodge that bullet."

If that wasn't enough, she then surprised everyone by sliding her frail arm through Bella's, saying, "Bella, it's such a delight to see you again!"

Rebecca Gerandy was not only born into an extremely wealthy family, but she married into another one. If she accepted you, then your calendar was guaranteed to be filled with social events for the next year. I stood there for a moment, speechless because my girl had just been snatched by one of Seattle's most prominent members of society, and taken to be introduced to her friends. Esme's tea garden party must have gone better than I thought.

I noticed my sister standing with the Whitlocks nearby and decided to join them. Colonel Whitlock was a robust man, decked out in his uniform, while his beauty queen wife was wrapped in his arms. The Whitlocks were huge contributors to any charity event that Esme held. Texas oil had deep pockets and the couple wasn't hesitant to share their wealth.

When I reached them, I noticed not only was Jasper calming down an irate Alice, but The Colonel was doing the same for his wife. He wasn't holding his wife, like I originally thought; he was restraining her. I tipped my chin up at Jasper, wanting to know what was going on.

He sighed and said, "They saw the little show-down with Lauren, and it riled them up."

His words somehow earned both denials and confirmations from the ladies, and they planned retribution for Bella's slight. Lauren didn't stand a chance. It was scary how they plotted her demise.

Like his son, The Colonel sighed and said, "Gail, stop it. Miss Bella looks like she can hold her own, and if I'm not mistaken, the Mallory girl is off somewhere lickin' her wounds. Don't get involved with the kids and their nonsense."

"Nonsense? How can you say that? Did you hear what that hussy said to Bella?" Mrs. Whitlock seethed.

"I did," The Colonel said, "I also saw Miss Bella put the Mallory girl in her place."

I smirked because he was absolutely right. My baby handled everything and came out on top. "She was pretty classy about it too," I said with pride.

"Yes, well I think she's learned a lot from both Esme and her garden party," Mrs. Whitlock said with a smirk.

The music started playing, and I frantically looked for Bella because there was no way I wanted some other shmuck asking my angel for a dance. The only one to hold her tonight would be me.

"She's over there with Sue Clearwater," Alice said with a smile, nodding to the small group of women.

As I made my way over to my Beautiful Bella, I noticed another man also heading for the group. Since Bella was the only one wearing a big poofy dress, it clearly advertized her as single, and I sped up my pace. He must have noticed me too, and soon we were in a race to reach my girl. He almost beat me, but he was cut off by a waiter carrying a tray of champagne filled flutes.

With one last smug smile to the bastard, I reached my angel. The group immediately quieted down, and the other ladies wore knowing smiles. I extended my hand to Bella and said, "Can I have the first dance, the last, and all the dances in between?"

She blushed and nodded, taking my hand. I felt eyes on us and never had to step around anyone as we made our way to the dance floor, so I knew people parted to let us by. But all that stuff was at the back of my mind because the only one I could focus on was Bella. She was practically glowing.

We went to the center of the dance floor, and I wrapped an arm around her lower back, bringing her body close to mine. I held her hand to my chest, and we slowly swayed with the music. Iron & Wine was playing and I enjoyed the way she moved with me. She fit perfectly against my body, like she was meant to be mine.

Like I was meant to be _hers_.

"Are you having a good time tonight, my Beautiful Bella?" I asked.

She beamed at me and shyly nodded her head. "I didn't think I would have this much fun. Everybody has been so nice to me, and paid me so many compliments, I feel like I'm in a fairy tale."

I didn't want to point out that not everybody was nice, and Alice's words about jealousy prevented me from asking who the hell was paying my girl compliments, so I played it safe and said, "Fairy tale, huh? Does that make me your Prince Charming?"

She rolled her eyes and leaned forward to rest her head on my chest. "Thank you, Edward."

"Anything for you, Bella," I said softly and placed a kiss on her head.

She lifted her face, closed her gorgeous brown eyes, and slightly puckered her lips. I gladly gave into her request and placed a reverent kiss on her pouty lips. I was tempted to trace my tongue at the seam of her lips, begging entrance, but a loud commotion came from the side of the dance floor.

Lauren.

She had finally snapped. I had noticed ever since Rebecca Gerandy's public dismissal, she had been blatantly over-looked. Her so-called friends avoided her, afraid they might catch her social leprosy. The commotion came from her ripping a tray away from a waiter, before she sent it crashing onto the dance floor. The crowd hushed as they watched Lauren self-destruct.

"Am I to understand that _that_," she said pointing a finger at Bella, "little bitch has a higher place in society than I do?" I saw that my family had made their way onto the dance floor. They stood behind me and Bella, showing a united front as Lauren continued her rant. "I am a Mallory, goddammit! I'll be damned if that whore—"

"ENOUGH!"

I looked at Carlisle in surprise. It was the first time he had ever raised his voice like that. Even when Emmett, Alice, and I had misbehaved when we were younger, we never heard him shout at us. He walked around until he stood protectively in front of Bella and said in a menacing voice, "You will leave this instant. You will not disrespect my family, nor will you ruin tonight with your petty behavior. You're a spoiled child, and I am happy to say I will never have to deal with you and your behavior again. Now get out of my sight."

Lauren looked around, shocked at the looks that the crowd was giving her. The people she once called friends pointedly looked away. She conceitedly raised her nose and said, "Fine. Come on, Mother, Father."

Both Mr. and Mrs. Mallory were standing on the edge of the dance floor, shocked at what was happening. Mrs. Mallory frantically looked around before a crazed look of desperation and resolution shined in her eyes. She turned to face her daughter and said in a clear voice, "You have embarrassed us for the last time. It breaks my heart to do this, but you are no daughter of mine. I want you out of my house."

She then approached my mother and said, "I want to apologize for Lauren's behavior. I hope what she's done tonight will in no way affect our friendship, Esme."

I felt Esme's nails dig into my hand, and the connection let me know her body was shaking in anger. Anyone who thought Esme could be friends with someone who publically disowned their child was crazy.

"I find that very funny, Mrs. Mallory," Jasper said quietly from behind me. The only ones who could hear were my family as well as Mrs. Mallory and her husband, who had followed her. "Several times tonight I've heard your forked tongue spreading ridiculous lies, saying you think Esme pays Bella to be with Edward."

"That's not true," Mrs. Mallory shrieked.

I felt Esme's nails bite into the flesh of my palm, threatening to break the skin as she struggled to control her anger. It was a rumor I hadn't heard before, and Esme wasn't the only one pissed off.

"Are you implyin' that I didn't raise my son right—that I raised him to be a liar?"

Our small group opened slightly as Mrs. Whitlock and The Colonel joined us. Mrs. Whitlock's angry gaze was focused on Mrs. Mallory, and I noticed The Colonel was again holding his wife back.

"Yes—_no_!" Mrs. Mallory frantically looked to her husband for help, but there was no way he could save her.

"I believe your family has insulted enough of my family members tonight. Mr. Mallory, would you please escort your wife and daughter out of here, before I have you all forcibly removed," Carlisle said with a nod to the security detail he hired. "Your family has officially been banned from any further Cullen event."

"You can't do that," Mr. Mallory said angrily. "Do you know how much money my family contributes to your charity?"

Esme stepped forward and said, "Not only will my family meet your donation, but we will double it this year and every year here on out. Now, I believe my husband asked you to leave."

"This isn't over," Lauren seethed.

The threat might have been taken seriously if she had not needed to waddle away. Apparently her tight dress restricted her from making the long strides necessary for a dramatic exit. More than one person laughed as she and her family left. Everyone in my family somehow maintained their composure, everyone except of course Emmett. Hell, he was probably the reason the others were laughing too. Bastard had one of those infectious laughs. Once you hear it, you join in.

After the Mallorys left in embarrassment, Esme went to oversee the clean-up left behind from Lauren's fit. My family spread out into the crowd in an attempt to save the night. I started to head for Mr. and Mrs. Clearwater's crowd since Bella looked at ease with Mrs. Clearwater earlier, but Bella gave my hand a tug. I turned to see what was wrong. She looked crestfallen, and I was worried about what caused her to be so sad.

"Edward, how much money do the Mallorys generally donate to Esme's charity?"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I don't know. One and half million?"

Her eyes bulged and became the predominate feature on her face. "Every year?"

"Well, yeah," I answered lamely.

"Edward, that's three million dollars on top of the money your family already puts into Esme's cause that your family will have to donate, all because of me."

"Bella, what are you talking about?" I asked while taking her into my arms. "It's money my family can easily spare, and it's going to a great cause. Plus, we never have to deal with the Mallorys again! I'm not seeing how this is a bad thing."

"Really?" she asked with an adorable pout.

I nodded my head then looked around. The staff had quickly cleaned the mess Lauren left, and the music had started to lure people back out onto the dance floor. I smiled at my angel and started to lead her back to what we were doing before we were interrupted.

~C~C~C~

We danced a few sets before Bella looked up at me and said, "Edward, can we go back to the hotel now? My feet hurt."

"Sure, baby. Let's go find somebody so the family will know we left."

We saw Rosalie talking with Mrs. Stanley, and I tried to hide my smile when she blurted out, "Edward, Bella, wait! I need to talk to you." She turned to tell Mrs. Stanley and said, "I'm so sorry, but I really need to talk with my brother-in-law. If you'll excuse me."

She started walking toward me and Bella before Mrs. Stanley knew what was happening.

"Yes, Rose? What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked with a smirk.

"Shut it," she ordered while grabbing the arm Bella wasn't holding onto. "That woman is horrible. Just get me to Emmett."

I laughed and said, "Sure thing, but Bella and I are leaving, so could you let Carlisle and Esme know so they won't be worried?"

She nodded then swung around and asked Bella, "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Oh definitely, but my feet are killing me," she answered.

We left Rosalie with my brother then headed out. We almost reached the exit when Bella reminded me that we left her shawl behind. Even though it was almost summer, the nights were still cool. I didn't want her to catch a chill so I said, "Okay, we can go back and get it."

She looked back and sighed, "Edward, my feet hurt too much."

"Don't worry about it, baby. I'll go back and get it." I looked around nervously. The lobby was relatively empty, and I was worried about leaving her alone. "Promise me you'll stay right here. I'll be back as soon as I can."

She nodded her head and smiled in relief. I hurried back to the coat check and waited impatiently for the coat check to find Bella's shawl. After what felt like an eternity, he finally returned with my angel's wrap. I rushed back to the lobby, but I stopped, my blood running cold with what I saw.

My Beautiful Bella was shaking in terror while being backed into a corner by a blonde man. I couldn't see who he was from my position, but I recognized his sleazy voice that rang through the lobby when he said, "I knew I've seen you before. What's the matter, Angela? Do I need to go find my friends? Will that jog your memory?"

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**A/N: Sorry about the cliffy… I kinda did warn you though. LOL… I really am sorry about it.**

**Well? Did you like? Can you guess who it is? Please leave me some love.**


	18. Fight or Flight Response

Enjoy!

Visuals:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/bell_ball/set?id=25164250**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

* * *

_Where are the people that accused me?  
The ones who beat me down and bruised me  
They hide just out of sight, can't face me in the light  
They'll return but I'll be stronger_

_God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been_  
_I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared_  
_Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable_  
_No one can touch me, nothing can stop me_

_"Unbreakable" by Fireflight_

**BPOV**

His friends called him King.

He was getting married, but instead of a traditional bachelor party, he and his friends had paid Demetri to have their own fun using me. For hours they had both hurt and humiliated me, saying it was the last chance he would get before getting married.

I remembered, so clearly, how he gently stroked my cheek while one of his friends was having a go. He had said, "Who knows? If my new bride can't keep me satisfied, I might have to come back."

They laughed.

At that moment I hated the mocking tenderness his fingers had shown me. They repulsed me more than the _thing_ that was being forced into me. His hands were anything but tender. They had pinched, slapped, held me down, yanked me by the hair, and choked me. They were harsh in their brutality, just like him.

I recognized him as soon as he came into the Four Seasons lobby. He was wearing a tux, which meant he too was at the ball. I turned and faced the other way. Edward wouldn't take too long. I wished I had gone with him, but the death traps Alice put me in were killing me. I had tried to convince her that dressy flats were perfectly acceptable, but she put her foot down.

That was the last fucking time I would listen to Alice. I had spoiled my feet by wearing Chucks and flats. Now I was stuck in a room with a nightmare from my past, with my chances of escape hindered by my aching feet and the damned shoes I never wanted to wear in the first place. I toyed with the idea of slipping off my heels, but that required me to sit down. I tried to slowly ease my way back to the ballroom, but my feet screamed in protest. I had to bite back a whimper because the last thing I wanted was to attract attention.

What the _fuck_ was taking Edward so long?

"Excuse me, miss?" A chill shot up my spine at the sound of his voice. "Miss, I'm sorry but have we met before?"

I angled my body slightly toward him and shook my head, while mumbling, "No, I don't think so."

I heard his dress shoes slap against the lobby floor as he circled me to try to take a peek at my face. At each attempt I turned slightly, pretending not to notice what he was doing while looking in the opposite direction. I hoped it looked like I was waiting for someone, which of course was true.

Where the _hell_ was Edward?

"Now, don't be shy," King said. He then had the audacity to try to crowd my space to force me to look him in the eye, as he said, "Are you sure we've never met? There's something about you that's so familiar."

I lifted my chin as I willed courage to my voice. "You are standing too close to me. Kindly back the fuck off."

I didn't mean to cuss, and I instantly regretted it when I saw the flash of excitement in his eyes. Instead of backing off, like I told him to, he advanced on me. My feet acted on instinct and took a step back. For every step he took, I took a painful but necessary step away from him, desperate to keep some distance between us. It wasn't long before I realized he purposely herded me to an area in the lobby that was conveniently in the shadows.

When I realized what had happened, my body switched from the flight mechanism to the fight response. I brought my knee up, intending to catch him in the balls, but pain shot through my already sore left foot. Not only did my knee not meet its target, but I ended up stumbling back into the wall behind me. I looked up and saw an evil gleam in his eyes when he realized not only did I try to fight back, but I was vulnerable. Perfect for a depraved asshole like him to prey on.

He reached out to me, but I slapped his hand away and hissed, "Don't touch me."

With those words, I saw the light bulb turn on. He remembered. What was worse was he had _that_ look in his eyes.

It was the same twisted look he had the night of his bachelor party. In those eyes I saw every man and woman who had taken pleasure from my pain, torment, and debasement. My body was shaking but it was no longer fear that caused the reaction.

I shook in fury.

I was vaguely aware of him calling me Angela, but I didn't answer to that name anymore. I thought he mentioned something about his friends, but I had friends too. Friends who taught me I didn't need to take his abuse. Friends who told me I had the power to change my life. My future was mine to claim, and assholes like King couldn't stand in my way. I, Isabella fucking Swan, would learn to bring royalty to their knees, and at that moment I couldn't think of a better person to start with than King.

Carefully, I braced my weight on my feet the best I could, balled up my fist, and delivered a sharp upper-cut, aiming for his adam's apple like Emmett taught me. King stumbled away coughing while he clutched his throat, and in a raspy voice he said in disbelief, "You punched me, you little bitch!"

I wanted to stay to inflict more pain on the pathetic excuse for a man in front of me, but one thing Emmett had stressed was to get away from the threat. I turned to run, feet be damned, but I wasn't quick enough. He grabbed my left arm hard enough that I knew it would leave a mark. If that wasn't enough, the bastard looked like he wanted to hit me.

I wanted him to try. He would be surprised at the things I learned. The things I wanted to do to him. I wanted to make him cry. Make him bleed. Make him beg, the way he made me beg. I wanted to claw out his eyes, rip his dick from his body, and force him to choke on it the way he and his friends made me choke on theirs.

I wanted him to suffer. To know humiliation and self-loathing. I wanted him to looking in the mirror, hating the horrible things that were done to his body that he had no control over.

He brought his free hand back, and in the background I heard Edward shout. I couldn't make out what it was; I was busy timing King's movements, waiting to make my move. But before I could, another larger hand stopped King's hand from reaching me, and the owner gave him a hard shove away, breaking me from his grasp and out of the hazy blood lust I was in.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. Whatever those emotions were, they terrified me.

Edward was by my side, and the space where King was once standing, was occupied by Colonel Whitlock. His back was to me as he faced off with King, but my attention was dragged away by Edward as he surveyed my body for any damages. He wouldn't find any other than my arm and sore feet.

When his gaze finally reached the arm King had grabbed and the quick discoloration showing proof of King's handling, his eyes blazed with fury. He spun around to go after King but realized Colonel Whitlock had beat him to it. King was on the lobby floor, curled up into a ball, and had his arms protectively shielding his head. I could see that his lip had been busted open, and his left eye was starting to swell.

It wasn't enough.

At that thought, I clung to Edward's back, terrified that I would lunge after the bastard until I was satisfied with the amount of blood spilled. I didn't want to be that person.

"I don't know how things work up here," Colonel Whitlock said, shaking out his hand, "but in the South when a lady punches you in the throat, it's her way of saying 'no'. Now, I know you know that this fancy dance was all about stopping violence against women, so I'm confused why you would find it appropriate to raise a hand to this little lady."

"But, she's no la—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Colonel Whitlock kicked him hard in the gut. King's painful grunt filled the lobby, and both hotel staff and ball guests came to investigate.

"I do believe I was talking," the Colonel said while dragging King into a kneeling position. "Keep in mind that this charity thing said nothing about preventing violence against men. Now apologize to the lady."

He took too long in his apology, and Colonel Whitlock twisted his arm painfully behind his back, just as the Cullens arrived. "I said apologize to the lady," he barked and wrenched King's arm further up.

My breathing sped at the grimace that came over King's face. I wanted to taunt him. Throw back all the things he said when he and his friends pinned me to the bed and took turns tearing into me. I wanted to cheer Colonel Whitlock on, as he ripped the bastard's arm from his socket.

"I'm sorry!"

"I think you had the wrong person. You called this girl 'Angela', but we all know that's not her name," Colonel Whitlock said in a voice that broke no room for argument.

"I-I-I was mistaken. I'm sorry, so sorry," King said with tears streaming down his face. "Please forgive me."

It struck a distant cord in me. I should forgive him, take all the things I read in the Bible to heart and be the better person, but I couldn't find it in me. I would _never_ be able to forgive him. I wanted his pain and humiliation. Eye for mother fucking eye.

I stepped from behind Edward, still leaning heavily against him, and said in a strong voice, "It will **not** happen again. You ever try touching me again, and I will hurt you in ways you can't imagine." I had to literally bite my tongue to stop talking. Fucker didn't deserve a warning. If he ever did try, I wouldn't be wearing heels.

"I taught her everything I know about inflicting pain," Emmett growled as he came to tower over King.

He whimpered and cowered away. I wondered if he knew about Emmett's involvement in the Marines, as well as the facts that he was involved with mercenaries.

"Boy, did you just piss yourself?" Colonel Whitlock asked, disgustedly, answering my question. He quickly released King and stepped away from him.

King got up to leave, managed to slip in his own piss, and crawled away. Before he reached the glass doors leading into the street, Emmett shouted, "Oh and, Royce? I'll see you later." King blanched at the veiled threat and ran into the night. I smiled, imagining him sleeping with the proverbial one eye opened.

"Um, is everything alright?" asked a Four Season's manager. "Should I call the police... _Is that_ _pee_?"

Carlisle stepped forward, and after telling her who he was, and after the manager's spectacular show of ass-kissing ability, he said, "I don't think the police are necessary. As you can tell, we have a member of the United States Army here to maintain peace," he said, waving his hand in Colonel Whitlock's direction. "And yes, that is urine."

The guests from the ball that had been lured into the lobby went back to the ballroom. They were eagerly talking about what they had witnessed, completely unaware of how freaking close I was to losing control. Some of them were even making plans for coming to next year's event, like there would be a damn encore somehow.

Edward had turned to watch the crowd disappear, and I wrapped my arms around him from behind, laying my head against his strong back. Now that the excitement had died down, my feet demanded attention. The shoes were cutting painfully into my flesh, and my heels protested against the weight that trapped them on the thin heels of my shoes.

I felt Edward take a shaky breath, and I realized he hadn't said one word during the whole incident with King. "I'm okay, Edward. He didn't get to hurt me like he wanted to."

I jumped at his caress. I wasn't expecting such tenderness with everything that had happened, but I shouldn't have been surprised. My skin tingled as he slowly stroked my hands that held him to me. He brought my right hand up and pressed several soft kisses on my knuckles. I smiled softly at the gesture.

We heard someone clear their throat behind us, and we turned to see Jasper standing next to us. "Bella, everybody is wondering if you're alright."

We peered behind Jasper and noticed the Cullen and the Whitlocks looked concerned, but they kept their distance. I realized the husbands were holding onto their respective wives, with Carlisle filling in for Jasper by holding both his wife and daughter. I wasn't surprised to see the women needed to be held back; they looked anxious to see for themselves that I was okay.

I was grateful everyone gave me space. My emotions were still too raw, and I was afraid I would lash out due to my anger being stirred, thanks to King. I just wanted to go back to the hotel and mull over what the hell happened. Unable to find words that wouldn't sound forced, I settled for nodding my head.

After an awkward silence, Colonel Whitlock said in a gruff voice, "Yes, well, I'm just glad I needed to step outside for a cigarette."

"He's right, Bella," Edward said in a whisper. He turned to face me and gently ran the back of his hand across my cheek. The same cheek King thought to hit. "I wasn't fast enough. If The Colonel wasn't there—"

"I would have been fine," I said. "I planned to spin into him and under the arm he was using to hold me, to break contact. Then I was going to take out his knee and punch him in the ear."

They didn't need to know I wouldn't have stopped there. I would have kept going until someone pulled me off of King's bloody and broken body. I tried to hide the terrified shiver those violent thoughts sent through my body. The only person who noticed was the man who had his arms wrapped protectively around me. He tilted his head to the side, trying to read my expression. I looked up and tried to offer a smile, but he furrowed his brow like he couldn't make sense of what he saw.

Emmett gave an excited whoop, causing me to break eye contact with Edward. "Yeah, Bella! I knew you had something up your sleeve."

"So, I didn't save her?" Colonel Whitlock asked confused about what was being said.

Gail lovingly patted her husband on the cheek and said, "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I think Bella could have handled herself just fine."

"I want to thank you anyway, Colonel Whitlock, and you too, Em," I said with a smile plastered on my face. "Seeing him pee his pants was possibly the best gift anyone's ever given me."

Emmett smiled his dimpled smile, and Colonel Whitlock puffed up at my words and said, "Happy to oblige."

"I think the night has taken its toll on Bella's feet. We're going to head back to the hotel," Edward murmured.

"Okay, dear. Just send the limo back for us," Esme said.

~C~C~C~

The entire ride back to the hotel was spent in silence. Both Edward and I were lost in our thoughts. I would have been worried about what he was thinking, but every so often he would absentmindedly stroke the back of my hand with the pad of his thumb or lace his fingers through mine.

I needed help getting out of the limo and into the hotel. I couldn't wait to get out of those damn heels that would be burned as soon as my feet were liberated. I only had to somehow make it to the room the Cullens had reserved for me.

When we reached the room, I turned to Edward and was scared at what I saw. He wore a mask of disgust, and I knew it had finally hit him. Who I was before meeting the Cullens. The things I was forced to do, and the people who made me do them. I guessed it was tolerable when the men were faceless, but things became too real for him when he saw one of the monsters from my messed up past.

My eyes prickled with tears but not out of fucking sadness.

I roughly shoved away from him and spat, "You don't have to say anything, Edward. I get it. Guess tonight wasn't a fairy tale after all. Don't worry; I can take care of myself."

I snatched the card key from the silver clutch I had and jammed it into the locking mechanism. Before I could open the door, Edward spun me around and pressed me into the door with his body, as his mouth pressed almost painfully against mine. Without thinking I gave him a small shove and swiftly brought my hand across his face.

The loud slap shocked us both out of our actions, and while his eyes bulged out, mine flooded with tears. Shame engulfed me, and I brought my hands up to hold back a sob from escaping. His cheek quickly turned bright red from where I struck him. The sight of his perfect features marred because I couldn't handle my emotions was too much, and the sob broke free.

Instead of getting angry with me, Edward's legs buckled and he slouched before me on his hands and knees. He crawled forward and hugged the lower half of my body. His body shook as he cried, "I'm so sorry, Bella. Please forgive me. I-I don't know what I was thinking. Please, love, don't send me away. I promise I'll be good. Just don't ask me to leave tonight. I don't think I can stay away. I _need_ to know that you're safe."

I ran my fingers though his messy bronze hair and it seemed to relax us both. "You can't do stuff like that, Edward. I'm not like some other girls. I don't like not having control. Intimacy is new to me, but I know I don't like being held down or cornered like that."

"I know, God, I know. I'm so sorry, Bella," he whispered.

My body swayed and he surprised me jumping up and scooping me off my feet. He gave me that crooked, handsome smile of his, even though there was still a hint of sadness in his eyes, and he said, "Let me make it up to you, Beautiful Bella."

Everything slammed into me at once: his smell, his strength, our closeness. My body seemed to burst into flame with awareness as we breathed the same air. Our mouths were temptingly close to each other, and I instinctively licked my lips.

"Bella?"

"Yeah," I said in a pathetically breathy tone.

"I need you to open the door," he said with a soft chuckle.

"Oh," I mumbled, embarrassed that he caught me drooling over him.

After I let us into my room, Edward gently placed me on the edge of the bed. He then crouched down to carefully remove my damn shoes. I hissed as the circulation returned to my feet. I knew they were probably red with the exception of white stripes where the shoe straps were.

He stood and ran his hands nervously through his hair. After finally gathering his courage, he turned to me and said, "I'm going to give you a bath."

Oooookay.

"Fuck, I mean I'm going to _draw_ you a bath," he gritted out, clearly embarrassed by the Freudian slip.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. We really were perfectly paired in our awkwardness and verbal fumbling. "That sounds great. In fact, it sounds heavenly."

For some reason his eyes softened at my words.

He walked to the bathroom and quickly returned with a thick bathrobe. He laid it on the bed next to me and said, "I'll just go run the water while you get undressed. Did you um… need my help with anything?"

"I might need help getting all the pins out of my hair, but we can do that while I'm in the tub," I said softly.

He turned back to the bathroom, but not before swallowing thickly. I heard the rush of water coming from the tub faucet and struggled to unzip my dress from my seated position. After I wiggled out of the dress and removed all of the pricey lingerie Alice had insisted I wear, I shrugged into the robe Edward left for me.

He called from the bathroom to see if I was decent, and in no time I found myself in hot, bubbly water. The air smelled of lilacs, and it dawned on me that someone had brought my bubble bath from home. It was probably Esme. She knew how baths helped center me. Slowly my muscles began to relax in the soothing water.

"Would you like me to get the pins out of your hair?"

I was so relaxed that I didn't even jump at Edward's voice. Instead I hummed in agreement. One by one, he tenderly removed each pin that held my hair in place, until it cascaded down my shoulders. I heard his sharp inhale and wondered at the back of my mind what his reaction meant. Too tired to put much thought in to it, I leaned back against the tub and let the water take me to a state of nirvana, as Edward quietly slipped out of the bathroom.

I thought about how the night went while wetting a wash cloth in the bath water. I knew I would need to talk to Just-call-me-Carmen about my feelings and shit. They scared me and thrilled me at the same time. However, for the first time I wasn't afraid of someone else.

I was _free_.

I could start my new life without looking back. I could be anybody I wanted to be. I could do things that made me happy. _Be_ with someone who made me happy.

Edward.

My Edward.

My body tingled when I thought about being in his arms. I hadn't realized he was so built. I definitely felt how hard his body was when he lifted me, as if I weighed nothing. It was such an intimate moment. I knew he had muscles, but tonight was the first time I got to touch them. Maybe he would let me touch them some more.

Maybe I would let him touch me.

I noticed I was dragging the wash cloth over my pebbled nipples, and I rubbed my legs together. I could tell there was a wetness there that had little to do with the water. The tiny bubbles that popped against my skin, added stimulation to my over-excited body. Abandoning the wash cloth, I gave my nipples a tweak. I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out.

It had been so long since my body had this kind of reaction to a man, and it was only the memory of being in his arms that had me worked up. I wondered how my body would respond when he was the one who touched me. For the first time, I wanted to share myself with someone. I wanted to explore my body, and I wanted Edward to explore it with me. The way his eyes roamed over my body while I was wearing the ball gown, I knew he wouldn't disappoint.

I squeaked in surprise when he knocked on the door and scrambled to find the wash cloth.

"Alice is on the phone. She wants to talk to you."

I smiled softly, hoping he wouldn't notice the flush on my skin, and held my hand up. Edward made it a point to not look, as he handed me a towel to dry my hand and then his cell phone. Knowing me, I'd probably drop that expensive mother in the bath. He left again, and I held the phone up to my ear where Alice had already started the conversation.

"—dn't believe he had the nerve to show up tonight. Especially after his history with our family. It's like he had a death wish."

"Alice, what are you talking about?"

"Royce King," she stressed.

"Ah. So it was his name," I mumbled to myself.

"I mean, we always knew he was a jerk, but we never realized what a bastard he was."

"Ali, I'm kind of trying to enjoy my bubble bath. I really don't feel like talking about what happened," I said with a sigh.

"Right, bath time is your time. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm good. Edward ran me a bath, and it feels heavenly." She was quiet for too long, and a quiet Alice meant trouble. "What are you up to, Alice?"

"Don't be surprised if Edward asks to give you a foot massage," she said in a rush.

"What?"

I sat up, and the water sloshed around me at the sudden movement. He couldn't do that. It was too sweet a gesture. If he did that, there was no doubt in my mind that I would jump his bones. My body quivered at the new possibilities the night held. I was going to feel his hands on me.

"He wants to take care of you. I think it's romantic."

I was going to respond, but there was a commotion on the other side of the line. Suddenly Rose's voice was in my ear. "Hey, Bella, it's Rose. Listen, if you have sex tonight—"

"Rose!" I hissed. I looked over my shoulder and noticed Edward had left the door open a crack.

"I'm just saying that if you do, I strongly advise a less submissive position for you."

"God, Rose!"

"Just until you're comfortable with him."

"Hanging up now!"

Edward tapped on the door again, before sticking his head in the room. "Bella, if you're done with the phone, I can take it."

"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Edward."

He lingered by the side of the tub with the phone in his hand, looking at some invisible spot on the wall. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. The bath was a wonderful idea."

"And your feet? H-How are they?"

I tried to hide my smile at his awkwardness. I wondered briefly if I should make him squirm a little, but I decided against it since he had been so thoughtful and sweet. "Actually they're still a little sore. Do you… Would you mind massaging them for me?"

His head whipped around and the look on his face is almost comical. "Yeah, sure. Anything you need, Bella."

He rushed out of the bathroom but returned with no jacket, shoes, socks, or bow tie. His pant legs and his sleeves were rolled up. He stepped into the water and sat on the side of the tub near my legs. He placed a towel on his knees, and he gently reached into the water to bring my right foot up into his lap. He used the towel to pat the water drops off my foot. Then he unscrewed the cap off a tiny bottle of bath oil, poured a little into the palm of one hand, and screwed the cap back on. He took his time rubbing his hand together, before he finally took my foot into his warm hands.

I watched in silence, mesmerized by his movements, as he used one hand to hold my heel while the other gently wrapped around my foot. He used his thumb to rub the ball of my foot. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and I let out an embarrassing groan at the perfect pressure he used to ease the pain.

With a smirk he said, "That good, huh?"

"God, Edward, that feels so good," I whimpered.

His hands stopped at my words, and I opened my eyes in time to see him swallow with an audible gulp.

"Is something wrong?" I asked while wiggling my toes, urging him to continue.

He shook his head and went back to rubbing my aching foot. "I'm just… tonight's been long."

The sadness returned to his eyes and I hated seeing it. He deserved to be happy. Hell, we both deserved to be happy. Tonight was one of the greatest nights of my life, but it meant little when I saw the shadows creeping in to steal his light.

I brought my foot back into the water so I could get his full attention, and I asked, "What's wrong?"

He looked into my eyes, and the same look of loathing had returned. It confused me because it conflicted with his actions as he reached into the water to bring my left foot across my body and into his lap. I got into a more comfortable position to enjoy the things he was doing to my poor foot. If he wanted to talk, I would wait.

"He called you Angela," he stated.

"Yeah, it's the name Heidi and Demetri used," I said, not sure where the conversation was going.

"I sometimes call you angel, like in my head."

I waited for him to continue, but he didn't explain. Instead, he went back to working my foot, gently rubbing each toe.

After a few minutes of silence, he said quietly, "I failed you, Bella. I shouldn't have left you alone. I knew there was a possibility of one of those vile men being there, but I was stupid and left you all by yourself…"

I slipped my foot out of his grasp and rose to my knees, ignoring my nakedness, and held his face between my hands. I looked into his sad eyes and said, "Edward, I'm safe now."

Green focused on brown. His breath was rapid and he slowly dragged my wet body to his, until I was between his firm thighs.

"Bella," he whispered before his mouth covered mine.

I eagerly opened when he swiped his tongue against my bottom lip. His oiled hands traveled over my back, and we both moaned when his tongue slowly stroked mine. He was tender as he claimed my mouth.

I felt him harden against my chest, and I gasped when he rocked his hips forward. My fingers traveled to the nape of his neck as I held him closer to me. I became bolder and started sucking on his soft tongue, encouraged at the sounds he was making. My nipples became painfully hard as his wet shirt rubbed against me, but I wanted to feel his hands on me. Playing my body the way he played his piano. I wanted to feel his fingers glide across me, coaxing raw and passionate sounds from me.

"Edward," I panted, breaking the kiss.

His eyes flew open, and he held my body away from his. I watched, shocked as he rushed out of the tub. Before he reached the door, I heard him talking to himself.

He muttered, "That was a mistake."

Sitting a tub of cool, bubble less bath water, I tried to fight back the tears. He didn't offer an explanation. He didn't even say good-bye. He just left me.

I practically threw myself at him, and he left.

He didn't want me.

* * *

**A/N: ****Did you see that one coming? Bet some of you thought there would be a lemon, huh? I know, I know! I wrote like four different scenarios, but this was the one that made the cut. Are you mad? Let me have it.**


	19. Persuasion and the Sound

I think the chapter is great the way it is. Some of you will disagree. This is a warning before my customary warning: **this chapter is heavy on the violence.** So if you don't want to see it, don't read it.

It's time to check in with the boys.

Visuals:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/wolf_stats/set?id=26557760**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

* * *

_Took a job workin' late  
Jackin' cars from out of state  
She found no love in this town  
So she'd never mess around  
Had no luck, but ain't it strange  
The girl knew how to chop and change_

"_Chop and Change" by The Black Keys_

**Jacob POV**

It was Sunday morning, the beginning of week two in Seattle, and we were sitting in a freaking Starbucks because Paul just _had_ to have his fancy latte. Sam was sitting next to me with his laptop looking through the Seattle P.D. database for Heidi, Demetri, and Felix. No last names, if we were lucky enough not to get aliases, and no physical descriptions. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"I still say we should hack the doc's e-mail account," Paul said after taking a sip of his damn coffee.

"It would be easier if we had more information," Sam quietly agreed.

"If the doctor wanted us to know that info, he would have given it to us," I explained wearily, for what felt like the hundredth time. Not that I necessarily disagreed with my boys.

When the women left Dr. Cullen's study, the three of us along with the doctor, Cujo, and Copperhead talked about Bella's time in Seattle. Apparently there were sessions between Bella and her therapist on the doc's computer, where she gave detailed accounts of people raping and abusing her. The therapist would e-mail the files, and the Cullen family heard about the horrors that Bella had suffered through. When we asked for the files, Dr. Cullen became uneasy saying he wouldn't feel right giving them to us. He had no problem offering names, but handing over the files felt like betrayal of doctor/patient confidentiality.

Riiiight.

The Army brat joined our chat when he got back from his dinner with the midget. He was the one to tell us about that Felix asshole. Cujo and Copperhead were pissed about what they heard and wanted blood, but we all knew they wouldn't take him out if they had the chance. They were too good for that, unlike me and my boys. We would definitely have words with him when we found him. Motherfucking rapist. He, Demetri, Vic and Jamie were all on our shit list. Heidi was too, but I didn't think we would actually take her out. Time would tell. So would her friends.

"Son of a bitch! I think we have ourselves a Judas."

Sam and I looked out the window to see what had Paul's attention. Across the street was a parked, rusted van. Next to the van stood a man with curly black hair and a slender woman talking, but not just any woman.

"It's the cheese girl," I said under my breath.

"Bree Tanner," Sam said at the same time.

What are the fucking odds that Bella's high school friend from Jacksonville was in the same city where Bella was taken to? The same friend to last see Bella in Jacksonville before her disappearance. When we questioned the few friends she did have, one friend we weren't able to track down was Bree Tanner. When she disappeared from Jacksonville, we thought maybe she had left with Bella. The difference was there was no police report after her disappearance, only rumors that her family picked up and left.

I looked back over at Sam who was busy plugging away on his computer. Within seconds he had the picture we had nicked from Bella's room and had scanned onto Sam's computer, up on the screen. Even from the distance we knew we had a match.

Bree Tanner was standing next to a van talking to some guy. He leaned down to give her a kiss before she left to enter a building a little further down the street.

"I think you're in the mood for a smoke, Paul." He sighed and gave a longing look at his halfway finished coffee. "Christ, I'll buy you another one. Oh and expect a call," I said when he got up to leave.

I tossed him our supply bag, and he grabbed the things he needed and headed out.

"Sam, I want everything you can find on Cheesy."

"Already on it," he said.

I looked out the window as I hit the speed dial to Paul's number.

"Whatcha got?"

"Romeo's at the entrance of the building. You got time. It was just the two of them," I answered him.

He looked back at the coffee shop then strolled over to the other side of the street. He dug into his coat pocket to get the pack of cigarettes out. Next the lighter.

"Guess he couldn't be separated from Cheesy," he said before placing a cigarette between his lips.

I laughed and said, "That's the name I gave her too."

"No kidding," he said around the cigarette.

With the phone tucked between his ear and shoulder, he brought the lighter up but had a little trouble and accidentally dropped it.

"God, your acting sucks."

"Bite me," he said as he got down on one knee and stuck his head under the van, behind the rear passenger tire.

"Head's up. Romeo's coming over."

Paul groaned when he saw Romeo's feet in his peripheral vision, and he said, "Hanging up."

"Wait, I want to hear how you exp—"

"Asshole," he said before hanging up on my laughing ass.

In the reflection of a mirrored window that was angled perfectly to allow me to watch, I saw Romeo give Paul a shove. I could just imagine their exchange.

"_What the fuck are you doing?"_

Paul straightened his body but stayed crouched next to the van. He held up the hand that had the unlit cigarette in it.

"_Relax, man. Just dropped my lighter."_

"_So get a new one."_

Paul shook his head.

"_Forget it, pal. That was a gift from my girl."_

Romeo looked pissed but made a "speed it up" motion with his hands.

"_Whatever, man. Just hurry up."_

Paul went back under the van and returned with his lighter. He bounced back up on his feet, and Romeo took a step back when he saw how big Paul was. Not so tough now, huh?

Paul lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and strolled back to the Starbucks. I gave him another call.

"Yeah?"

"Get your ass back in here," I ordered with a laugh. I knew he would stay out there and finish the damn thing because Romeo was watching him like a hawk.

"Thank God. I hate smoking these damn things," he grumbled. It was true; he would bitch about the stink all night long.

He took the seat across from me and gave me a nod letting me know he put the tracking device in place. I reached in my wallet and pulled out some cash for his replacement latte. Guy earned it. When he got back with his foamy coffee, we all made sure not to look at the van. No need to look suspicious, right? Never mind the three huge Quileutes sipping premium coffee in a Starbucks.

"Sam, you got anything?" I asked.

"Yes and no."

"Come again," I said.

"Nothing on Bree Tanner because she doesn't exist," he murmured.

"What do you have?" Paul asked.

"I used the picture we have and ran it through the NCIC database. I got a hit for a Kristie Huert. Age: twenty-six. Known aliases: Jen and Bree. Connected with a Fred Miller. Age: twenty-nine. AKA: Diego," he said with a snort. "Both have warrants in four different states for kidnapping and aggravated assault, and both are under suspicion of human trafficking by the FBI."

"What do you want to do?" Paul asked, his second coffee forgotten.

I tapped the lip of my coffee mug as I thought about how I wanted it handled. We didn't set out to bring down a human trafficking ring. I looked out the window in time to see Bree return to the van. She gave Diego a bright smile, and I wondered if she ever used that smile on Bella. Was that the smile that lured Bella into believing she was safe?

"Recon first. Maybe a snatch and grab."

I knew one thing, the game had just changed. Cheesy wasn't the particular needle we were looking for, but she would do.

~C~C~C~

"What do you mean 'we'll just go in'?" Sam asked.

"Easy—I take point, you cover my six, with Paul as watcher. If we run into trouble, he can join in the party." Sam looked at me like I was speaking Greek or some shit, so I said, "Look, they're staying in a fleabag motel in a shitty part of Seattle. We're not busting into the Pentagon. The only kind of security measure we're going to run into is the dead bolt and chain lock on the door. We go in after they're asleep, and we take everything: wallets, keys, purse, and phones. While we're getting them in the trunk, Paul will replace the chain. At the most, it will look like they didn't check out."

"Hardware?" Paul asked.

"Personal preference."

"How do you want to knock 'em out?"

I looked at Sam while answering Paul's question. "Drug first, but if things head south, we'll use force."

They both nodded their heads in agreement, and we went to work packing the goodie bag we would take with us. My cell rang, and I wasn't surprised to see it was Cujo. "You know, you're coming across as clingy."

His booming laughter forced me to hold the phone away from my ear. When I pulled it back he was asking if Sam was around.

"Sam, Cujo," I said, holding out the phone.

Paul dragged me away from Sam's one-sided conversation, saying, "Jake, what do you want to use: rope, tape, or nylon cuffs?"

"Cuffs for the extraction and rope for the warehouse."

"I was thinking the same thing. What did Cujo want?" Paul asked when Sam hung up.

"He wants me to check into some guy named King," he said while packing his thigh rig.

"King? Sounds like a douche," Paul said with a smirk.

"Well he did _something_ to get on Cujo's bad side. He wants everything. He's going to make his life hell," Sam said with a happy smile.

Yeah, it was the little things in life that made Sam smile, like hacking into somebody's personal business and raiding files and bank accounts. It was good to see his life was fulfilling.

~C~C~C~

"Who are you? What do you want with us?"

I knew we should have drugged him too, just to be on the safe side. But he made force necessary in subduing him. Now, he wouldn't shut the hell up.

Sam was in the office to the side, looking into the douchebag that Cujo asked about. Cujo's timing was good because what we were about to do didn't sit well with Sam.

I circled the two seated figures as Paul finished strapping the chatterbox into his chair. The chairs were facing each other, about two yards apart, perfect position for what we had planned. We were in a warehouse that we had rented out for this purpose and this purpose alone. We used a fake name to rent out the space, and when we cleared out, no one would know that Bob N. Dicks had killed two people.

I gave a snort at the name Paul picked. He had one weird sense of humor. He also had special training, courtesy of the United States government, that would be paramount in getting the information we needed.

Persuasion tactics.

What a joke. Just call it what it was. Not like our enemies overseas didn't do it either.

He stood next to me and gave me a nod. It was time. We both walked to a figure and yanked off the black bags covering their heads. Cheesy looked up at me, her face streaked with tears and dirt, blood-shot eyes, and drained of color. The drug's effects were fading, and she was disorientated and scared. She was smart to be scared.

"You!"

I looked over to see Romeo glaring at Paul. It was almost humorous.

"Me," Paul responded as he happily shoved a waded up rag into Romeo's mouth.

I turned to look at Cheesy and asked, "What's your name?"

No answer from Cheesy.

I gave Paul a nod, and he pulled back his hand and punched Romeo in the face. The crunch of bone and cartilage and the blood gushing from Romeo's face both confirmed that his nose was broken.

Cheesy shrieked, "Please don't hurt him!"

I would make no such promise. "What is your name?"

"Bree," she said after a beat of silence.

"And his?" I asked, nodding in the direction of the blooded Romeo.

"Diego."

I knew she wouldn't give us their real names, but I needed to know what to call them. If I called them by the wrong name, and they knew we had information on them, they might be a little less forthcoming with their information. It wasn't like we wouldn't get it eventually, but Paul didn't enjoy this part of the job. True he'd done it before, but he wasn't a sadistic monster who got off on it.

"Who's your contact in Seattle?" I asked.

Diego frantically shook his head and gave a muffled cry behind the rag. Bree kept her eyes locked on him and remained silent.

"Bree was it," Paul said while approaching her. "I'm going to do something that I've never really done before. I am going to hurt him, but I'm going to let you decide how."

I walked to stand behind her chair. These were all mind games to get her involved. They gave her the notion that she could survive, that she actually had a say in what would happen. It wouldn't matter. Either way Diego was going to suffer.

"What?" she whispered in disbelief.

"You have two choices, blunt or sharp," Paul said, walking to his tray of instruments. "You should know that if you don't pick, I'll more than likely use both."

"What's the difference? Pain is pain," she spat.

He gave a dark chuckle and approached her with two tools in his hands.

"If you choose sharp," he said while holding up a scalpel, "and managed to get away, the doctors only have to worry about stitching him up. That is, if he doesn't bleed out. However, if you choose blunt," he said holding up a steel hammer, "the doctors would have to cut into him anyway to pick out the little bone shards and mend and repair everything that I break."

Diego gave a pitiful whimper, and Bree looked frantically at Paul then at Diego and back again. She didn't, however, give him an answer.

"Fine. Let's start with blunt," Paul said tossing the scalpel back onto the tray.

He crouched down by Diego's strapped feet and untied his shoe. He then slid off his sock. Diego was a blubbering mess. The rag in his mouth collected saliva, snot, and tears. I knew in a few minutes he would look a lot worse. I almost felt bad for the guy.

He struggled in his restraints as Paul held his foot down. With his free hand, Paul reached for the hammer and raised it, ready to strike. When he still got no answer from Bree, he brought it down. The thwack of steel meeting flesh and the sound of Diego's bones being crushed were quickly drowned out by his muffled screams. His eyes bulged out, and the veins in the side of his neck became pronounce as his face turned beet red. I couldn't see everything, and I knew Bree couldn't either. Paul's body was blocking most of what happened below the waist. Sometimes the mind had a way of supplying images worse than reality.

Paul stood up, but Bree's eyes were focused on Diego's swollen, discolored toe. Diego's face had turned from red to chalky white, and sweat was forming on his brow. His eyes were glazed over with pain, and Bree sobbed when she took in the rest of him.

Paul walked to his tray to get another rag, but instead of wiping Diego's sweat, he lightly patted at the moisture on his own face. "Did you know, Bree, that there are two hundred and six bones in the human body? That was only three, give or take," he said tossing the rag back on the tray.

He resumed his position at Diego's feet and raised the hammer again. Diego shrieked again and struggled against the rope bindings. They made a disturbing creaking noise that grated on my ears, but the sound only amped up the intensity of the situation. I had a feeling Paul was pushing down on the injured toe, but to Bree it probably looked like he was terrified.

"Wait!" Paul jerked his arm back slightly, and he cocked his head to the side, listening to what Bree would say. "Sharp! I choose sharp."

Maybe she thought they would be able to escape. That she could get him to a doctor and they could forget about this nightmare. That they could stay under the radar until it was safe to resurface. Perhaps she thought being cut was less painful. She was wrong. Paul knew all the places that were most sensitive, and with the sweat dripping off of Diego, I knew it would sting like hell.

"You know, you could save Diego from all this pain if you'd just answer my question," I said.

She jumped at the sound of my voice, like she forgot I was even there. I walked around to stand between her and her Diego. Paul was back at his tray replacing the hammer for something smaller and sharper. She looked at me in confusion and I reminded her, saying, "Who is your contact in Seattle?"

Diego grunted but since Paul was still by his tray, we both knew it was him either telling her not to say a word or give up the name. It didn't matter—Diego being gagged was serving its purpose. It left Bree feeling helpless without somebody to listen to. I moved out of the way so she could witness him trying to talk around the rag.

Bree stayed silent as Paul cut and ripped Diego's clothes from his body. The silence in the warehouse didn't last long as Paul went to work on him. Her shrill pleas and Diego's muffled cries filled the air as the blade dug into his flesh.

~C~C~C~

Hours of precise cuts later, Diego passed out from the pain. Paul stood up straight and went to the sink in the corner to clean up. He discarded the bloody latex gloves in a nearby trash bag and peeled off the shirt he was wearing, replacing it with a clean one.

"You probably think I'm a monster," he said to Bree, strolling up to her.

She was all cried out and staring at Diego with a remorseful look on her face. When she heard Paul's words, she shot him a glare and said, "You're a sick fuck."

"It was the Chinese, you know," he continued like she never said a word. "They came up with the 'death by a thousand cuts' centuries ago. They would tie up a person who had done society wrong, in a very public place, and cut and dismember their body."

Bree whimpered, but Paul continued with his psychological torment.

"When they were first perfecting the technique, they had a bunch of knives in a bag. Each was labeled with a body part. Ear, arm, chest, leg, even heart. What ever knife was drawn, it got used. That body part got sliced up, then cut off or cut out." He walked back over to his tray and retrieved a clean scalpel, and walked back to Diego.

"If the knife labeled 'arm' was drawn," he raised the tool and used Diego's bicep to show where he was talking about, "they would slowly cut into the arm until it was removed. If they drew 'chest', or in cases of women 'breast', they would slowly make cuts here, removing both the muscle and the nipple," he said circling Diego's pectorals.

Bree eyes were transfixed on Paul's movements. The overhead light reflected off the clean instrument with each tiny movement his wrist made. Her body was tense, and I knew she felt uneasy with Paul that close to Diego with his new scalpel.

"They had to make modifications," he said with a dark chuckle as he stepped away from Diego. "You can imagine their disappointment when somebody drew 'heart' first. Of course, they would cauterize the wounds to prevent bleeding out. That way they could prolong the experience. If done right, it could last days."

He walked back over to the table and picked up a saw that looked like a meat cleaver. "Since you're unwilling to talk, I might have to switch over to the Chinese method," he mused as the saw gleamed sinisterly in the light.

"HEIDI!"

"Huh?" he asked, like he didn't know who the hell Heidi was.

"My contact's name is Heidi!"

"I don't believe you. You'd probably say anything to stop me," he said in a dismissive tone and walked toward Diego.

"I'm telling the truth! Her name is Heidi. Please, don't hurt him anymore. You could just let us go. We won't tell anybody what happened."

"How do you get in contact with this Heidi?" I asked, walking around to her side.

Her eyes lit up with the false hope that if she played along, we would release them. "My phone. Her number is listed as 'Seattle H'. I don't talk to her too often. We only talk when she wants to do business."

"Does she work with anybody?"

"Her boyfriend Demetri. He has a couple of friends too."

"What are their names?"

"I don't remember," she said slowly… too slowly. Paul picked up another pair of gloves and started putting them on, snapping the latex cuffs dramatically. "Alec and Felix! They help keep the girls in line. Sometimes Alec will make the trip with Fr-Diego. There, I told you everything I know. Now will you let us go?"

"I'm sorry. I can't do that," I answered honestly.

She looked from me to Paul, then back again and said, "You were never going to let us go."

I shook my head slowly.

"But why? I told you what you wanted to know," she wailed. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US? We haven't hurt anybody. What do you want?"

"You're wrong," I explained. "You kidnap girls and sell them to be used by rapists and johns."

"So? Look, it's no big deal. They weren't going to be missed," she said frantically.

"You're wrong again," I whispered.

~C~C~C~

Sam and I stood by the docks while the breeze came off the water. There was an eerie beauty the way the sound swallowed a body into its murky depths. It was like a lover who refused to give up. A lover who felt the need to utterly consume that being until there was no doubt that the two were one.

The water had two new lovers today.

I fucking hated the way death made me poetic. I guessed it was true that it made you take a deeper look into the meaning of life and shit. I needed a drink.

Paul was back at the warehouse carefully rolling up the heavy tarp that was under Bree and Diego's chairs. When he was finished he would torch that along with our clothes and shoes in a barrel miles away from the warehouse Bob N. Dicks had leased.

"Did you check her phone?" I asked Sam as we walked back to the car.

"Yeah, Heidi's number is there just like you said it would be. We can trace it when I get back to my laptop," he answered in a gruff tone.

"Did you find what Cujo wanted?"

"Yep."

"You're pissed."

"Kind of," he said with a sigh. "I understand that she had the information we needed, but I don't like it."

"She saw our faces, Sam," I said quietly. "And what about the other females—Heidi and Jamie?"

"I know, I know, and I _will_ do what we came to do. I just… she… I don't feel right about taking out women. You know that, Jake. Christ, she was just a kid," he said.

It was true. Bree was a tiny, frail girl, but Kristie Huert wasn't. Kristie Huert was a woman in her late twenties. A woman who used her appearance to trick people into thinking she was younger than her years.

We made it back to the warehouse and were sitting in the car waiting for Paul, so we could drive to the other car and switch them out. It was Wednesday morning, and the gloomy day extended past what the weatherman could have predicted. I reached into my wallet for the picture I was looking at yesterday. Any time I had doubts about breaking Bree, I would look at that picture.

I slapped it against his chest. Did he think that bitch and her guy were going to stop? What should we have done, given them a warning and sent them on their way? She knew what would happen to those girls.

"Women can be evil too," I muttered. "You know what she said? 'It's no big deal.' Selling somebody into sexual slavery is no big deal."

He looked down, studying the picture in his hand. It was of two smiling, teenaged girls. They had an arm slung around each other and were holding up the necklaces around their necks. They were the kind that formed a heart when you put them together. Bella's half said "Best" while Bree's half claimed her as "Friends."

Bella was so carefree and happy in the picture. How could she know the person posing as her friend would betray her? That she would be subjected to torment and abuse because she trusted the wrong person. When I saw that picture, the thought that haunted me the most was, how many of those necklaces had Bree collected over the years?

Did I feel bad for taking Bree and Diego out? No.

Two down.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, I'm ready. Loved it or hated it, I want to hear about it. Did I go too far?**


	20. Tales from an Outsider

**Now, back to Edward and Bella and the aftermath of Seattle.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.**

* * *

_Loneliness is such a sad affair_

_And I can hardly wait to be with you again_

_What to say to make you come again_

_Come back to me again_

_And play your sad guitar_

"_Superstar" by The Carpenters, preformed by Sonic Youth_

**EPOV**

Five weeks.

It had been five weeks since Seattle, and Bella still refused to see me.

I had gone to my parents' house the Monday night following the ball, knowing they had returned. Having returned to Forks the night of the ball, I was prepared to show Bella how much she meant to me. What I wasn't planning on was my family's reactions to what happened in Seattle between me and Bella.

When I tried using my key to Carlisle's and Esme's house, I discovered the lock had been changed. So like some outsider, I was forced to ring the doorbell. Esme answered the door, but instead of greeting me with a smile, she took the magazine that was in her hand and proceeded to hit me with it, yelling, "What did I tell you? What did I say? Edward Anthony Cullen, didn't I tell you to treat her right? I trusted you to take care of her!"

I frantically looked past her, searching for any sign of Bella. Worried, frantic thoughts of Royce following us back to her room and busting down the door after I left, flooded my mind. I needed to see her to make sure she was safe with my family.

Instead of Bella, I saw Alice walking up behind Esme.

"YOU," my sister shrieked while ripping the magazine away from our mother, only to wail on me. Through the hits she landed, she growled words that didn't even make sentences. "Selfish… stupid… don't know… heartbroken… idiot… not my brother."

It was a misunderstanding.

Bella misunderstood.

Of course, it's not like I stopped to explain why I left. Like an asshole, I believed she would hear me out, and we could live happily ever after, like in the chick flicks Esme and the girls watch. Those plans were crushed when it became painfully obvious my own family wouldn't let me in to clear things up.

That same night Carlisle showed up on my doorstep. Without saying a word, he headed to my study and helped himself to my Scotch. He poured a couple of fingers in a glass before he held the bottle up and raised his left eye brow in question. I shook my head at his offer.

"Does your phone not work?"

"Huh?"

"Your phone, Edward. We all tried to call you Saturday night… and last night too," he grumbled. "Now I have a house full of sad and pissed off women. I'm at a loss, Edward. For once I don't know what to do. You really screwed up."

"Is Bella alright?"

He barked out a humorless laugh and shook his head. "No, Edward, she's not. We had to schedule her an appointment with Dr. Felsley today."

I swam in guilt, knowing I was responsible for Bella needing to see her doctor.

"You can't go back to the house," Carlisle said, swirling his drink.

I looked at him in shock. I knew I messed up, but I never imagined there would be a day I wasn't welcomed home. I knew if I got Bella to see me, I could convince her that I loved her. I could make her see that we fit.

Seeing the look on my face, Carlisle huffed and said, "What did you expect? You hurt her, Edward! Just stay away from the house. Emmett won't hesitate to knock you out. You know how he is when someone upsets any of the Cullen women. Son, you upset all of them. We'll get together this week to talk, and for God's sake leave your phone on."

After turning my phone back on, I spent an hour on the internet looking up the meaning of flowers, and another hour trying to decide if sending her purple hyacinths, since it meant, "I'm sorry," was too cheesy.

I sent them.

A week later it was Rose that showed up on my doorstep. She didn't greet me. Hell, she didn't even take off her jacket.

She stood in my living room and said, "Did you force her to do something she wasn't ready for?"

Her question floored me, so after blinking a few times, I said, "What? Are you asking if I—"

"Yes, Edward. I'm asking if you pushed her too far. I'm asking because no one else will. They refuse to believe it can happen, but I see women everyday who are victimized by someone they know."

"I didn't do that. I _wouldn't_ do that," I gritted out.

She pursed her lips. Then after a minute of sizing me up, her posture relaxed and she slid off her jacket. Walking to the couch, she draped it over the arm and said softly, "Why did you leave like that?"

I ran my hands over my face and thought back to that night in Seattle. Bella's body felt perfect against mine. I had pulled her closer as our tongues stroked each other. She tasted sweet, and my body responded when she started sucking on my tongue. With Bella naked, wet and on her knees, my mind flew through so many fantasies that I had trouble separating them from reality.

I wanted to consume her. Take her on the floor and make her crazy with need and want. I wanted her to feel what I felt, and I needed to get lost in her. I craved her body beneath my own as I made her forget any man who had ever touched her.

When she said my name breathlessly, my eyes flew open, and I saw her flushed face and heavily lidded eyes. I was painfully aware of the hard tips of her nipples as our breathing caused them to rub against me. I wanted to close my eyes and continue kissing her senseless, but my mind went back to the other men.

Men who took her against her will in hotel rooms similar to the one we were in. I broke away from Bella and her sweet kisses. I didn't want to be like the others. I didn't want to give her a reason to compare me to them.

So I left.

I left her alone because she deserved better than being taken on the floor. She deserved to be worshiped, not claimed. To let it go any further would have been a mistake.

One we couldn't undo.

Rose listened to my reasons with a sad look on her face. When I was finished, she walked to the window overlooking the back of the property. "You know, there's a misconception that women who have been raped feel guilt and shame. That's not true for all of them. The truth is, reactions are as different as the women themselves. The way they cope can range from fear to anger. They could lash out physically or act composed and reserved even when talking about the trauma. Bella was never really ashamed of her sexuality like some of the other women because she _knew_ she wasn't to blame. Something happened between you two and whatever it was has caused Bella to become more guarded. Alice has been banned from her closet, and she's not as outgoing as she used to be. She keeps her distance. I had to ask because she's withdrawn, and I miss her, Edward," she whispered.

I sent her flowers every week.

They were always purple hyacinths with another flower that meant beauty or love.

My days were filled working out in my gym or working on my music. I purchased a Steinway and spent hours playing pathetic, melancholy pieces. I sent some to Garrett and he called me, saying, "Muse is gone, huh?"

Sometimes I had dinner with a family member. It took two weeks for Alice to come around. We had an unspoken agreement. I didn't ask about Bella, and she didn't hit me. Dinner was tense and felt unnatural. Jasper was torn between not pissing off my sister and standing by my side as a supporting friend.

Usually I had lunch with Carlisle, Esme (when she finally forgave me), or Emmett and Jasper.

"How are you doing, man?" Emmett asked one day.

I missed my family, missed my home, and missed my Bella. I went through my daily routine, yet everyday I felt like my soul was dying. "Fine."

"So, you got a new Steinway," he said eyeing the piano.

I nodded my head. We were waiting for Jasper to join us, so we could go to a restaurant that wasn't Bella's diner. When did I start having small talk with my brother? We never did that.

I cleared my throat before saying, "I heard about Royce."

Emmett's proud smile told me he was indeed responsible for the legal troubles King was having. I didn't feel sorry for him; fucker had it coming.

"Yep, tax evasion is a bitch. He'll probably serve time, and when he gets there, I might mention his fondness for forced sex to a guy who did a tour with me. He works in the system."

I thought about the nasty surprise waiting for Royce and tried not to smile. He deserved so much worse. I was a little surprised at how differently this made Emmett look in my eyes. He was always an honorable man, and this new side of him almost scared me. Then I realized, with Royce in prison, Bella would be safe. My brother was my fucking hero.

"She's angry."

I sighed and looked at him. It felt like all the guys blamed me for anytime their women got pissed. After weeks of being their whipping boy, I was getting tired of it.

"Bella," he said. Her spoken name demanded my full attention. I had tried unsuccessfully to get information on my angel, but my family was completely loyal to Bella and therefore tight-lipped around me.

"She's been spending a lot of time at the center."

I raised my eyebrow, willing him to continue, but I didn't want to say anything because I was afraid he might remember whom he was talking to. I was treating him like a wild animal, not wanting to spook him.

Emmett ran both hands down his face and he took a deep breath before saying, "She's just so damn angry, Edward. She goes at the punching bag like it was the one that wronged her. I tried pulling her aside to tell her to take it easy but she won't listen. I think everything is finally hitting her. All the shit that she's been through."

Rose's words about victims lashing out came back to me. There was a pain in my chest when I thought about my beautiful goddess in turmoil. I wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. "Is she taking her anger out on the family?"

His head snapped in my direction and he said, "What? No. She's just scary good at the fighting techniques I've shown her. I can't spar with her because she doesn't hold back anymore. Little hellcat can do some serious damage. As for the family, she's still keeping her distance. I think she feels bad about making us choose between the two of you."

I nodded my head because that sounded like Bella.

"She's going for her GED next month," he said with a big grin. "She's seeing the tutors Esme has at the center. I think she'll do well."

Hearing that caused a swirl of emotions to stir in me. On one hand, she was moving on with her life—bettering it like she should. She was more productive than I was, and it left me feeling more pathetic than I was already feeling. Still, I was so fucking proud of her.

I smiled and said, "And her cooking?"

"Oh yeah. Laurent came to town two weeks ago. If she's not at the center, she's at his home, baking away. We've all been helping out in the kitchen for dinner. That way she's not sick of cooking. It's not going well, man. Some nights I damn near envy you," he said with a grimace.

I tried to hold back a laugh, but that fucker came out anyway. He gave me as shove as he laughed and said, "It's not funny, bro. Last night Rose burned the roast, and when I couldn't eat it, she told me I was sleeping on the couch. Not only did I not get to eat, but I was in the dog house."

I was still clutching my side when I noticed Jasper pulling into the drive. "Come on. Let's eat; you must be starved."

"Before we leave, I need to tell you something," he said placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, you can have my mint, Em," I said, jokingly.

"This is serious, Edward." My smile dropped at the shift his mood had taken. "Yesterday Mom saw something that spooked her. There was a man taking pictures outside the house."

He waved his hands toward me to calm my panic and said, "Let me finish. I took a look around and couldn't find any sign of him, but I wanted to make sure you had a heads up. Don't approach him if you see him, Edward. I know you, and I know you would do something rash and stupid like that. All I'm asking is that you give me a call. Let me take care of it. Do you understand?"

He wasn't speaking to me like a brother. He was a Marine giving an order, and no matter how badly I wanted to do things my way, I knew he was right.

I gave him a nod and we went out with Jasper. I couldn't enjoy lunch. My thoughts were on the threat to my family. Emmett's phone rang, dragging me away from my thoughts on the mysterious photographer.

"Hey White, what's up?" he said before wiping his mouth with his napkin. He looked at me with alarm and said, "Excuse me, guys. I need to take this call."

After Emmett's bizarre exit, Jasper turned to me and said, "How are things goin', Edward?"

I shrugged my shoulders. He knew how miserable I was. There was no point in bitching about things.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry how things turned out," he said, offering me a sad smile.

"It's not your fault. I'm the one who screwed up," I said with another shrug.

"Edward, it's not your fault. You did the right thing. You respected Bella enough to wait. She'll see that in time. She's just getting her life in order and working things out right now. Once she works through everything, she'll come find you."

I snorted and tried not to let hope build that Bella would take me back. "You forgot that the family still hates what I did, and I'm not exactly welcomed home."

He sat there, picking his words carefully before saying, "Edward, you know the family doesn't hate you, right?"

"What about the locks on the door?"

"Esme had them changed. She was worried that Bella would take off. She wanted to leave Washington completely. She felt we were picking sides and that she was tearing the family apart. The locks were Esme's way of letting her know she could feel safe at the house. Unfortunately, safety meant giving her space from you to work through what happened."

"I understand why Esme did what she did, but I'm pretty sure Alice hates me," I said, shaking my head.

He sighed and said, "Alice doesn't hate you. She hates that things have changed between her and Bella. You just happen to be easy to blame. We miss you, Edward. Things will work out. Just keep doing that thing with the flowers. It's nice to see Bella smile."

Maybe Jasper was right.

Maybe thing would get better; I just had to wait.

One thing I had no doubt about was Bella was definitely worth the wait.

I had just ended a call with the florist when the doorbell rang. I trudged toward the door, tired and ready to tell whoever was on the other side to fuck off because my bed was calling to me.

When I opened the door, I had to blink my eyes a couple of times.

_Bella_.

She stood there, nibbling on her lip, waiting for me to invite her in. Of course, me being the ass that I was, I stood there gawking at her. She gave a dainty cough, and I wondered if it was too cold outside for her.

_She shouldn't be outside, dumbass._

I opened the door and moved to the side so she could come in. As she walked by, her scent hit me, and I blinked away the tears I felt pooling in my eyes. She looked and smelled better than I remembered, and I wondered if she came back for good because I didn't know if I could survive it if she told me she never wanted to see me again.

She stopped in the foyer and spun around. Wanting to give her space, I backed up a little and leaned against the front door.

"Why? I need to hear from you why you left. Was it me? Was it something I did or said?" she asked while pointing to herself.

The fact that she felt any responsiblity for the way things went down had me approaching her slowly. She had to have felt the reaction my body had to her that night.

I carefully cupped her cheek and willed her to open her beautiful, brown eyes. There were shadows under them, and I knew I wasn't the only one not getting a full night's sleep. When I was finally gifted with the deep chocolate I dreamed of every night, I said, "No, Bella. You did nothing wrong. I'm sorry if my actions caused you pain because that's what I wanted to avoid. I left because, I couldn't control myself. We were in that hotel room and I didn't want our time to be tainted with memories caused by those lowlifes."

I saw her flinch when I mentioned the vile fuckers who haunted her dreams. I ran my thumb across her skin before saying, "Hey, none of that. You deserve better than that, and everything was moving too fast. Bella, it was a mistake to let things get carried away. God, Bella, I love you." Her eyes widened at my declaration, but I went on, afraid that I might never get another chance to tell her my feelings. "You are the bravest, most beautiful woman that I have ever had the fortune of meeting. How could I not feel the way I do for you? I want you in ways that might scare you, but, Bella, I could never hurt you the way those men did. You deserve to be cherished and loved. If things went on that night, it would have been frenzied and rushed, and I could never forgive myself if I hurt you."

She stepped away from me, and my heart crumbled.

I pushed too hard. Said too much.

"Do you really mean that? You love me?" she asked in a tiny, hopeful voice.

I looked at the silly, beautiful woman before me and tried to fight my smile. Her adorable trademark blush made her wide eyes sparkle. I bared my heart, confessing how I wanted to ravage her, and all she heard was my declaration of love and still had doubts. I wanted to take her into my arms and show her how much I loved her, but I held still.

"Yes," I whispered. "I love you."

She nibbled on her lip and whatever she was thinking made her blush even harder. Finally after an unbearable silence, she said, "Edward, would you like to come over to dinner tomorrow night?"

* * *

**A/N: ****I'm going to be honest. This chapter was depressing to write. Thanks for hanging on. It will get better.**

**Are you mad at how the Cullens handled things like my pre-reader was? Are you interested in the call Emmett took and the photographer? Hmmm…**


	21. From the Passenger Seat

It's another week which means another chapter! A lot of important things happen in this chapter, and I feel the need to warn you there is a lemon at the end that some might have a problem with. Here's your clue: when you see he's in bed… it's coming. Again this is a warning before my customary warning:**this chapter contains age/role play that some might find questionable. I don't want responsibility for triggering any issues.** So if you don't want to see it, please don't read it. But things happen, so leave a review, letting me know, and I'll respond with important tidbits you need to know.

That being said… or typed, I hope you enjoy Emmett's POV :)

Visual:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/guard_dog/set?id=28401607**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

* * *

_Well, you can't turn him into a company man  
You can't turn him into a whore  
And the boys upstairs just don't understand anymore  
The top brass don't like him talking so much  
And he won't play what they say to play  
And he don't want to change what don't need to change_

There goes the last DJ  
Who plays what he wants to play  
And says what he wants to say  
Hey, hey, hey

"_The Last DJ" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers_

**EmPOV**

"Your brother's girlfriend is dead."

I shot a panicked look at Edward, willing it not to be true. It would tear him up if anything happened to Bella. Hell, it would tear us all up. He was sitting there, broody as ever, probably thinking about her while I was on the phone with Jake.

After using a napkin to clean my mouth, I turned to Edward and Jasper and said, "Excuse me, guys. I need to take this call."

It took a helluva lot of restraint to walk calmly out of the restaurant. How the hell could Bella be dead? It didn't make any sense. How the hell was I going to tell my family?

"How do you know Bella's dead?" I asked when I made it safely outside.

"What? No, I'm talking about that blonde who was always hanging off of Edmund's dick," Jake said.

"_Lauren_?"

"Yeah, we couldn't remember her name, but it's kind of hard to forget _her_." He sounded exhausted, and I wondered what the hell was going on in Seattle. I could understand why they wouldn't forget Lauren. They had once visited while she and Edward were still together. He was on a bogus business trip, and she was feeling lonely. Poor Paul was subjected to her lame attempts at seduction. The guys and I thought it was hilarious at the time. "So Copperhead finally made his move," Jake murmured quietly.

"Asshole, you should have said it was her in the beginning," I snapped.

"Don't pull that shit with me, Cujo," he growled. "How the hell was I supposed to do that when I couldn't remember her fucking name? She had no ID—nothing. Your ass is lucky we saw it going down. Four weeks, four fucking weeks of recon, shot down the drain because of your little brother's bitch of an ex."

I sighed and said, "You're right, man. Sorry for going off on you. Tell me what happened."

It was his turn to sigh. After silently debating how much he wanted to tell me, he said, "We got a lead a few weeks back. It led back to Bella's pimp. The only problem was we couldn't get a beat on him, only his crew. We tracked them and were about to make our move yesterday when the blonde stepped in. She was a goddamn monkey wrench if I ever saw one. She was making nice with one of Demetri's guys, and I had Paul follow them into the alley. By the time he made it back there, it was too late. Fucker slit her throat and tossed her in a Dumpster."

"Fucking hell," I said.

My outburst cause a little old lady who was walking by to glare at me, and with the mood I was in, I raised my eyebrows, as if to say, "You got a problem, lady?" I would probably feel bad about her scurrying away frightened tomorrow, but I had bigger things to worry about.

"Paul neutralized the situation and is working him over right now." I held my tongue. I knew about his specialty and even though I didn't agree with it, sometimes having a guy like Paul around was useful. "That's not all, Cujo… Paul said when he came across him, the guy was talking on the phone."

I stopped my pacing. "What are you saying, White?"

"I'm saying we think he had enough time to tell Demetri where to find Bella."

~C~C~C~

When I got home, I turned on the TV, looking for news on Lauren. It was still early, but that sucker was staying on. Jasper came home and sat down next to me. I had texted them, letting them know I couldn't finish lunch, so he was probably waiting for an explanation. Instead of asking what was up, he arched an eyebrow and waited.

"Follow me," I said, standing up.

We went up to the second story, and as we passed Bella's door, Leah came out and stood in a protective stance in the doorway. I looked into Bella's room and smiled when I saw her flipping through one of the cookbooks Alice gave her.

"Leah," Bella said, calling her furry friend back in the bedroom.

Instead of listening to Bella, Leah walked in a little circle and plopped herself on the floor. Even though she was no longer on the force, Leah was a cop through and through, and I was never more relieved that there was an extra set of eyes to watch over Bella. Leah knew something was up. She felt the tension in the house. In fact, it was her behavior that first clued Esme in on the guy with the camera. She was acting funny, scratching at the door and growling.

Jasper followed me into mine and Rose's bedroom without saying a word. Going to the security cabinet I had installed in the closet, I brought out a revolver Jasper would be able to handle. Years of going to the range with him made me confident he could protect our family if he needed to. I just hoped he wouldn't have to.

"Keep this in your room," I said, placing it and a box of ammo in his hands.

"How bad is it gonna get?"

"I think they know she's here. I'll worry about her. You just worry about Alice. I'm serious, Army. If anything happens to my little sister, I'll knock your ass all the way back to Texas."

Being a man of few words, Jasper simply nodded his head and said, "She's safe with me."

~C~C~C~

"Where's Bella?"

Rosie looked at me and gave me a beautiful smile before saying, "She finally went to talk to Edward."

I looked out the window and noticed how dark it had gotten. "Alright, well I'm gonna see that she makes it back okay."

Rose looked at me with understanding in her eyes. She thought I was worried about the creepy photographer. I still hadn't told her that there were far more dangerous things lurking out there.

"Okay, baby," she said before sending me off with a sweet kiss.

I decided on walking there because I would be riding back with Bella. I took comfort in the IWB holster holding my Glock. It was tucked safely behind my back, and I needed to get use to the feel of it on me and soon. I never carried it around, but with the threat to my family I could never be too sure.

The guy with the camera was still a mystery, but I knew he wasn't sent by Demetri because Esme had seen him yesterday morning, and the thing with Lauren happened that night. I still didn't like it; there were too many players in the game—too many unknowns.

When I reached Bella's truck, I placed my hand on the hood and discovered it was still warm. I had time. I spent that time thinking about when I first met Bella. She was tiny, beaten, and so alone. Things had changed. My family _helped_ her change, made her see that she was worthy of love. I remembered the vow I made that night to keep her safe. At first my reason was because Esme loved her. Now I would protect her because she was a part of my family.

She actually jumped a little when she saw me sitting on the hood of her truck. I also noticed my idiot brother didn't walk her out. Even _after_ the speech I gave him on looking out for her. I needed to have another talk with him.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked with an amused look on her face.

"Thought you could use the company."

I hopped off the hood and walked around to the passenger side. She unlocked my door after climbing in and cranked on the engine.

"Listen, Bella, this week I might get on your nerves."

"You mean more than you normally do?" she teased.

"A lot more actually," I said with a sad smile.

She pulled into our driveway and turned off the ignition. With the keys in her tiny hand, she said, "Is this about that man with the camera?"

Instead of giving her a direct answer, I said, "I'm going to be tagging along with you. Where you go, I go."

She nodded her head and with her chin jutted out, said, "Will you be doing the same for Rose, Esme, or Alice?"

"No," I said slowly, wondering where she was going with her line of questioning.

"Dammit, Emmett! I don't need to be coddled like a baby. I can take care of myself," she yelled while punching the steering wheel.

For the past few weeks I had seen her rage, but I was not in the mood to have it directed at me. The hell with that. "Coddled, Bella? Are you fucking kidding me?" Her eyes widened at my tone, but I was too far gone to get my anger into check. "Did you ever think about what it would do to the family if something were to happen to you? No, you can't step outside of your own issues to see the big picture. You actually have people who care about you, a family who wants you safe and happy. I don't give a flying fuck if you don't want me shadowing you; it's going to happen. Don't you ever doubt what I'll do for my family, and, Bella, you're now a part of that."

After a very tense silence, I looked over and noticed tears streaming down her face. Fucking great; I made her cry.

"You're right," she croaked. "I'm lucky to have you guys."

I sighed and lifted my arm, and she took my invitation. Flinging off her seat belt and scooting next to me, she let me wrap my arm around her. After she soaked my shirt with her tears, I cleared my throat and said, "So, you made-up with Edward."

She gave me a playful punch in the gut and said, "Noticed that, did you?"

I nodded my head and said, "So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?"

She pulled away and wiped her tears. "I planned on going to Laurent's, then the center, and finally dinner here with Edward joining us."

Yeah, it was dark outside, but I still saw that blush on her cheeks. Girl had it bad.

~C~C~C~

"Is Jasper there with you?"

"Yes, Emmett." My sister's annoyed huff almost made me laugh.

"Good, now the security company I hired will be there at eleven. I should still be here at Laurent's house, but if I'm not, that means I'm at the center. If anything happens—"

"I know, I know; I'm to call you," she said with another exaggerated huff.

It was seven in the morning and Bella and I had shown up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at Laurent's. Bella because she couldn't wait to bake, and me because I couldn't wait to eat what she baked.

They started with measuring out every ingredient, and, honestly, the whole process looked a little boring. However, both Laurent and Bella seemed to get more excited with every ingredient prepared.

"Whatarewemaking?" Bella blurted out.

I didn't understand what she had said, but Laurent did because as soon as he heard her, the little man laughed. Maybe he was teaching her French because it didn't sound like English.

After Laurent stopped laughing, he turned to me and explained, saying, "Every day we play a game to see if Bella can guess what we are making. Usually she won't know, so then it becomes a game of how long it takes before she asks."

"I thought I did well today," she said with a pout.

"Oui, mon doux, it took a whole ten minutes," he said, laughing. "Today we are making an apple-cranberry crumble."

Soon they started with the good stuff. They mixed butter, almonds, and a few other ingredients, and the result was a crumbly dough. "What's that?"

Bella smirked and said, "That would be the crumble part of the crumble."

"Alright, Bella," I said raising my hands. "I need to go make a phone call. Will it be finished by the time I get back?"

Instead of answering me, they looked at each other and laughed.

Shaking my head, I stepped into the next room and dug into my pocket for my cell and the phone number I had tucked away. After a few rings, someone finally answered, "Seattle Police Department. If this is an emergency, please hang up and call nine-one-one. How may I direct your call?"

"Yeah, I need to get a hold of Missing Persons," I said.

"One moment."

After ten minutes of being on hold, someone finally picked up. "Missing Persons. This is Detective Monroe. How may I help you?"

After telling the detective about my missing "friend" and promising to email a picture of Lauren later, I gave him my phone number so he could call me back. It was protocol to check the morgues and hospitals first, so I knew I would be hearing from him soon. With that call out of the way, I went back to the kitchen to check on Bella… and her crumble.

She and Laurent were rolling out dough, and I perched on a stool near the counter. After the dough was rolled, they buttered the inside of six metal rings, and they pressed the dough inside. She was arranging the doughed rings on baking sheets, and he popped them into the fridge.

"We have an hour before they can come out. Until then, I can either teach you a variation of a tuile or we can work on your dough handling. Or perhaps you would like to work some more on making crème patissière," Laurent said while drying his hands.

Bella chewed on her lip before saying, "I'm interested in learning about the tuile, but I still need work on the crème patissière."

"Very good answer, Bella," he said with a slight bow. Then as he was pulling out more ingredients, he said, "Emmett, yesterday Bella learned to make pastry cream, but it didn't turn out quite right. Bella, tell him what you made instead."

Her head rolled back and she sighed, "I made scrambled eggs."

"And how did that happen?" Laurent asked while retrieving a sauce pan.

"I boiled the milk instead of warming it, and it cooked the egg yolks," she said while cracking and separating the eggs she needed. She whisked the butter, milk, egg yolks, vanilla, and dry ingredients until it formed a cream.

"What are you going to use that in?" I asked while licking my lips, eyeing the fluffy custard.

Laurent tore two pieces of plastic wrap, laying one directly on the cream and using the other to cover the bowl, and he said, "Funny that you mentioned it. I just so happen to have éclairs that need some crème patissière."

I watched them for hours as they baked, sautéed, and played in their world. Bella was blossoming as a pastry chef, and it felt damn good to see her so happy. We ended up packing five of the crumbles in the Escalade to take home for dessert that night.

As I was swallowing the fuck-delicious bite of éclair, I wondered why she never brought any treats home for the family. When I asked about it, she looked at Laurent before turning to me and saying, "We decided to give all the successful sweets to the Platt Women's Center."

~C~C~C~

"Holy shit!"

My head turned in the direction of Alice's cry in the living room, and I knew it was because of the news on Lauren. I got a call from the police station in the morning, telling me there was indeed a Jane Doe that resembled the emailed picture of Lauren. It surprised me that it took nearly twelve hours for the news station to get wind of the story.

We had just finished dinner and marched into the living room to see what had Alice in a tizzy.

"Lauren Mallory, daughter of Lucy and Frank Mallory, CEO of Mallory Images Inc., was found murdered in Seattle earlier this week."

The anchor woman went on with some bullshit press release from the Mallory family expressing their "deep sorrow," but my attention was on my family. Dad was standing in the archway that led to the kitchen with Mom wrapped in his arms. Jasper had joined Alice on the couch, and she burrowed into his side while he ran a comforting hand along her arm. Bella sat on the other side of the sofa, but Edward wasn't with her.

It was the second night he had come over for dinner, but he and Bella apparently started the whole dating dance from the beginning. Shy glances and soft touches when they thought no one was looking. Now he was standing at the window while he should have been holding Bella.

I saw his look of grief in the reflection of the window, and I wondered if he actually did care for the harpy. Joining the Marines and serving a couple of tours, I had seen death plenty of times. As un-freakin'-realistic as it was, I wanted to keep that kind of pain away from my family… away from Edward.

He put on a tough act, but I would always see him as my little brother. The little boy who followed me around and tried to impress me and my buddies. Seeing how he was taking the news about Lauren fucking terrified me. I couldn't imagine if it had been Bella. If Bella died, I didn't think Edward would fight to live anymore. It really fucking scared me, and I had a new reason to keep Bella safe.

I looked at the tiny woman who unknowingly held not only my brother's happiness, but his _life_ in her tiny hands. She wasn't looking at the TV; she was staring at me with sad, tired eyes.

"She went to find them. Didn't she?"

It shouldn't have surprised me that she figured it out. Bella was probably used to catty bitches and their crazy jealousies. I gave her a tiny nod, and she took a deep breath before exhaling loudly.

"Find whom?" Esme asked.

I turned to face my mother and said, "Lauren was in Seattle to find Bella's pimp… and she was successful."

~C~C~C~

Lying in bed, I thought of the shit storm my sentence kicked up. The once somber atmosphere was replaced with a charged energy filled with anger and panic. Esme was ranting about an unlocked filing cabinet, and Alice was screaming that she knew that bitch couldn't be trusted. Her words, not mine. Even Carlisle was pissed, and for being a man who put stock in God, it didn't stop him from using His name in colorful ways.

Bella took everything in stride and told me she would let me handle things the way I needed to, and I had a feeling she knew I had more info than the rest of the family. Edward was silent, but he followed her upstairs to her room. At least this pushed them back together sooner than the pace they were going. I needed to convince Esme to let him stay in the house. With another pair of eyes and ears in the house, we'd be safer.

Rose's reaction scared me the most. She had her arms wrapped around me during the news report, and when I dropped the bomb about Bella's pimp, she started to tremble. I excused us after I told the rest of the family what I knew. Of course I kept Jake and the boys out of it, but Carlisle and Jasper probably knew they were involved somehow.

Rose was taking a shower, and I hoped she would feel better after the hot water soothed some of the tension out of her body. Hell, I even offered to help with the process, but she just gave me a sad smile and told me to wait in bed.

The light clicked off in the bathroom, and Rose stepped out wearing a soft pink, baby doll nightie. Her hair was in high pigtails, and my cock sprung to attention.

"Daddy, can you hold me tonight?" she asked in a tiny voice.

We usually didn't play Daddy and Baby Girl, but sometimes Rose needed to feel safe and taken care of. On nights she felt vulnerable, she turned to me for security. She took comfort in following directions and was happy with the praise I gave her.

I loved feeling needed, and on this night, something I desired almost as much as my beautiful Baby Girl was control. With everything happening, I needed to feel like I had control of something, and if that something was my Baby Girl's pleasure then it was a win-win.

"Baby Girl, I would love to hold you, but you only come to me when you've been naughty," I said, beckoning her closer.

She nodded her head, her hair bouncing with the movement, and she said, "Yes, Daddy. I feel bad about what happened with that girl, but a part of me was happy with what I heard."

I nodded my head understanding my Baby Girl's conflicting emotions. I wanted to tell her she couldn't be held responsible for her feelings, but I knew she didn't want to hear that. "Is there anything else I should know?"

She nodded her head, and I wiped the tear that had escaped down her soft cheek. "Esme told me to keep an eye on the girl, but I didn't do a good enough job and she got into Esme's files." It all made sense. Esme listed the people she came into contact with, and if that contact was long-term, a file was created. Bella's file was raided by Lauren, and that was how she was able to find Bella's pimp.

"It's all my fault," my Baby Girl said with a sniffle.

I disagreed, but Rose didn't need my opinion, she needed to be freed from her guilt. "Alright. Bend over the bed."

She followed my softly spoken order, and I could feel the tension ease from her posture. She whispered, "Thank you, Daddy."

After raising the hem of her nightie, I eased down the panties she was wearing and ran a reverent hand up her cute little ass. Despite the reasons for Baby Girl coming to me, I was getting more excited with our play.

The hits I landed weren't severe enough to leave a mark, but hard enough for her to feel the sting. I soothed the flushed skin with the palm of my hand after each blow, and after ten swats, I crouched down to place a kiss on each cheek.

"Do you feel better now, Baby Girl?" I asked while standing behind her.

She moaned as I slowly rubbed my hard-on against her. "Yes, Daddy. Please show me that I'm forgiven. Please show your little girl that you love her," she begged in a breathy voice.

I quickly pushed down the flannel pajama pants I was wearing and slowly slid into my wife. Rose groaned at the feeling of being filled, and I leaned over her and quickly covered her mouth with my hand. "Shhh, Baby Girl. We don't want the others to hear us." She quickly nodded her head and used her pussy muscles to squeeze my cock. I hissed at the tight heat and said, "That's Daddy's good girl."

I slowly pulled out and pushed back in, conscious of the tenderness she must feel on her ass. She whimpered and met each thrust while my eyes rolled to the back of my head at the sensation. The warm skin of her luscious rear met the tops of my thighs at each thrust, and I felt her juices sliding down both of our legs.

I wrapped my other arm around her waist and let my hand drift down to her pussy. "Baby Girl, do you know how happy you make me? How proud I am that you told me?"

She whimpered, and I felt her tighten around my cock again. I rubbed her little nub and really began pumping into her. She snaked her tongue out and used it to lick the palm covering her mouth. I groaned and felt my balls start to tighten. "Be a good little girl and come on Daddy's cock," I said between grunts.

My words and the hand between her legs pushed her over the edge, and I felt her body trembling beneath mine. Her sweet pussy milked my orgasm from me, and I collapsed on her. You would think that she wouldn't like my heavy frame on her, and most of the time you would be right. But Baby Girl liked it when my body covered hers. She liked being surrounded by me and after the gift she had given me, I fought my instinct to roll off of her smaller body.

After I cleaned her and tucked her in, I crept downstairs. I made sure the new alarm system was armed and that all the doors and windows were locked. I thought about calling for reinforcements, but I knew Jake and the boys were going to stay in Seattle. They had their hands full with the mess Lauren made, and when they were that deep in a mission, I knew it wouldn't be right to call them back to Forks. Jake was right—I was lucky he called me with the heads up.

Walking back to my sleeping wife, I decided to call my buddy, Dean Wilder. Dean was a guy who worked Force Recon with me and Jake. Now he worked private security, and I would feel better with another trained gun around because things were going to get bad.

Very bad.

* * *

**A/N: Sooo… a lot going on, no? Any theories? How did you feel about the Lauren situation?**


	22. Old Enemies and New Friends

Sorry about the missed update. But I'm back! I know some of you have already seen the set of who I envisioned as Dean. Incase you missed it…

Visual:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/what_did_you_call_me/set?id=28512926**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

* * *

_But you chased me down and broke in just when  
I was done believing  
Spun me 'round so close now  
I can feel you breathing  
Sunlight burns inside and  
I feel so alive and  
Help me now, tell me how  
How can this last forever_

"_Forever" by Red_

**BPOV**

The morning sunlight illuminated the room and I shrank back into the warm body that was curled around me. After the news broadcast on Lauren's death, Edward had followed me to my room. He shuffled from foot to foot, roughly running his hand through his hair until he finally blurted out, "Bella, I'm so sorry. You were so brave to leave Seattle, and now those fuckers know where you are because of Lauren… because _I_ brought Lauren into your life. I don't even know how you can stand to look at me."

He had looked up from the floor, and I saw the anguish in his eyes. What did that mean? Was I supposed to comfort him? Pat him on the back and say, "There, there. Everything will be fine." It wouldn't be fine. We were all in danger because that stupid bitch couldn't stop thinking about her great, one-sided romance.

I never thought she would be so stupid as to seek out the goddamn nightmares I tried to avoid. She knew they had no problem with hurting women. Did she really think they would let her go after she ratted me out? No, once she told them she knew about their illegal activities, she signed her death warrant. Did she think just because she came from money it would keep her safe? She's lucky they didn't know about her family's millions. Demetri wouldn't have hesitated to ransom her ass.

Stupid, stupid bitch.

My hostile thoughts of Lauren piled up, and I hated the disgust she had stirred in me once again. She was dead, and I was angry that she wasn't alive so I could beat the hell out of her. Angry because her need to remove and hurt me put the Cullens in danger too. She was a selfish person, and I hated that I despised someone who would never know my anger because she was fucking gone. I absolutely loathed that she had somehow infiltrated my bedroom again. Since the Sunday of the wardrobe disaster, thoughts of her and what she thought of me had no place in my room. It was my sanctuary dammit. I wouldn't allow her to pollute my space again.

I walked up to Edward and said, "Don't bring her into my room. This is _my_ space. _My_ sanctuary. I come here to escape the shittiness of reality. Don't bring her memory here. If you're going to cry about your ex, do it somewhere else."

He nodded his head before resting his forehead on my shoulder and said, "You're right… Will you let me hold you tonight? Please."

I knew he was asking to spend the night with me. Truth be told, I was glad he asked first. We didn't bring Lauren up again. Instead we talked about other things, like how I thought I would do on the GED's or if Edward should cut his hair.

Leah's head poked over the side of the bed and she let out the, "It's morning and I need to take a piss," whine. I smiled and reached my hand out to scratch her behind the ears. I had startled her last night by slamming drawers shut, looking for pj's. Loud noises still scared her. However her anxiety had turned to aloofness when Edward started talking.

Out of everyone in the house, Edward's return had the most bizarre effect on Leah. When she first saw him, she took a step back and ran upstairs. Every time after that she literally turned her nose up at him and pretended he wasn't there. There was no growling, baring of the teeth, or flattening of the ears. Edward just didn't exist to her. I guessed I wasn't the only one hurt when he left.

I tried to slide out of bed, but Edward's arms pulled me back to his chest. I felt his heat, muscles, and erection pressing into my backside.

"No. Don't leave yet," he said in a gravelly voice.

"I have to, unless _you_ feel like cleaning up dog pee."

He released me with a groan and used his hand to prop his head up. I felt his eyes roam over my body as I walked to my bathroom. I was wearing the cute set of pj's I had picked out before Edward gave his rushed apology. It was a little, red, strappy top with a devil girl with angel wings and short matching bottoms. Part of me was hesitant to change into the damn thing after Edward asked to stay, but I figured I had been naked in his arms before.

For all my boldness from the night before, none of it mattered in the morning and I scurried to my dresser. Yanking the bottom drawer open, I prayed that I could find a pair of jeans quickly.

"Bella."

My search stopped when Edward said my name, and Leah growled in frustration. I looked over to him, lying comfortably in my bed, wearing nothing except a pair of boxers and a smile. His hair was a mess and he had scruff on his strong jaw line. No person should look that good after waking up.

"Don't be embarrassed. You're beautiful," he said.

He meant it too; I could see it in his eyes. I tried to hide my smile, but there was no hiding the damn blush his words summoned.

After quickly doing my own business, I threw on my jeans and a light jacket. Leah rushed out of the bedroom as soon as I opened the door and was already pawing at the back door.

"Alright, already. Hold your horses," I grumbled while skipping down the stairs.

I quickly opened the back door for my poor pooch then rushed back upstairs. Unfortunately, Edward was not in my room like I had hoped so I started getting ready for the day. I was a teeny bit grumpy that I couldn't spend a little more time in his arms.

Emmett was waiting for me in the kitchen whistling a happy tune. No kidding, the big ape was in such a good mood that he was whistling.

"You must have slept well."

"Belly Bear, today is going to be great." He chuckled when I gave a little head tilt, and he explained, saying, "We're spending the morning baking, and I have a buddy coming to Forks to help out with everything that's going on."

I ignored the _we're_ baking part because all he did was eat, and I focused on the friend he mentioned. "Who's coming?" I asked while pouring a bowl of cereal.

"My friend Dean. He used to work Force Recon with me and Jake. Now he's stuck guarding some snooty pop princess in Hollywood. He's been looking for a new gig, so of course he jumped at the chance to see some action. Well… action other than his client flashing her vadge for the paparazzi," he said while munching on an apple.

We ate in relative silence until he said, "Saw Edward this morning."

"Yep."

"Esme saw him too. She sent him on some 'errands' this morning," he said with air quotes.

I sighed. That explained why he up and left.

"So… things are good between you two?" he asked while making a questionable motion with his fist.

My eyes bulged out of my head, and I snatched a nearby roll of paper towels and chucked it at his head. "Christ, Emmett! That is none of your business!"

He held his hands up and said, "Relax, Bella. Geez. I just wanted to know if it would be alright to ask Esme if he could move back in."

Emmett was right, it was going to be a great day— Edward was coming back home.

~C~C~C~

Laurent's hands flew across the countertop, and I struggled to follow the motions with my eyes. It was years of experience I was trying to catalog, and I needed to remember that there was no possible way I could repeat what I had seen. He rolled the dough into a perfect ball with ease, and he expected me to follow suit.

Taking a deep breath, I took the dough set before me and gave it a whirl. That mother was sticking to my hands, making it extremely difficult to roll. It stuck to the counter-top, my fingers, and caused said fingers to stick together. It was a disaster… a big, messy disaster.

"Stop." My shoulders slumped in both relief and frustration at Laurent's command. I knew I wouldn't be able to do it, but I was still disappointed when I proved my prediction correct. "Perhaps a bit of flour would make a difference, non?"

I smiled and tossed some flour onto the steel surface. What he didn't tell me was how much flour to use, so instead of the dough rolling—it slid. Emmett snickered when the sliding dough caused me to crash into the counter.

"You think it's easy? Why don't you try it?" I said while placing my sticky hands on my hips then growled, "Dammit!"

"Bella, I don't think Laurent would like it if I was better than his star pupil," he said with a cocky smile.

Smug bastard with his stupid dimples.

Laurent swiftly placed a lump of dough before Emmett and said, "Actually, I would love to see this."

"Alright, alright," Emmett said while rolling up his sleeve. "Prepare to be amazed."

Laurent stood next to me with his arms crossed, wearing a smile. He knew what was going to happen; I knew what was going to happen. We were not so much as amazed but highly entertained.

Emmett managed to use too much pressure, and the tacky dough smeared along the underside of his forearm. He stood there shocked and motionless. "Eeeew! That's just so wrong."

I was still teasing him about it after we headed home for the day. I was pulling my truck into the driveway when I noticed Emmett wasn't laughing with me anymore. There was a car parked across the street that he was focused on, and for the first time, I saw the Marine that had been guarding me.

Gone was the goofy guy with dimples and a smile. The man sitting next to me had a calculating look on his face and was fishing for his something in his pocket. Without taking his eyes off of the car, he used the speed dial to make a call and brought it to his ear.

"Are you almost here?... Yeah, there's a rental car parked across the street… No, never seen before… I'll be inside. Don't wait."

He disconnected the call and by then my anxiety was causing my heart to beat funny. Like the damn thing was trying to escape from my ribcage. With a shaky breath I asked, "Is it him?"

His eyes were focused on the house, and they shifted over to me for a second before returning to the Cullen house. "Don't know. Dean is still too far away to help. Bella, I need you to stay in the truck and keep the doors locked while I check it out."

He made a move to leave, but I stopped him, saying, "Don't leave me here, Em. What if he's not alone? What if one of his guys is lurking around? Please don't leave me."

His eyes darted to the house then back to me, and I could see him working out the possible scenarios in his head. He gave a curt nod and said, "You will do everything I tell you to do. Don't say anything to let them know we're here. No sounds whatsoever—quiet as a fucking mouse. Understand?"

I quickly nodded my head and he went on.

"You're going to climb out on my side, and _I_ will shut the door." He waited for me to nod my head again. "You stay behind me unless I say otherwise. And Bella, if I tell you to run, you run."

As soon as I climbed out of the passenger side, I darted behind Emmett. My bottom lip came between my teeth when I saw him reach behind him, into the waistband of his jeans, to pull out the gun I didn't know was there.

Instead of closing the truck door he left it open a crack. With stealthy steps we made our way to the side door next to the garage. Was I breathing too loudly? Why did it sound so loud?

He quietly unlocked the door, and I made sure to stay as close as I could without being in his way. As we crept further into the house, a voice I never dreamed of hearing again rang out.

"I demand to see her! You have no right keeping my daughter from me."

Emmett turned to look over his shoulder, arched an eyebrow, and jerked his head back the way we came. I took a deep breath and shook my head at his offer. I wouldn't hide or run from Renée.

The Cullens and I were talking during dinner, three weeks ago, about what my plans were after I finished training with Laurent. I told them that I would love to open my own bakery but I would need to work in somebody else's to save enough money to buy it on my own. I had seen the look in some of their eyes and flat out refused to let them buy me a piece of property. If it was going to be my bakery, I wanted it to my _mine._ Jasper was the one to remind me that I already had money, or at least should have had money.

Esme called the lawyer they had on retainer, and I signed all the correct documents from the insurance company that held Charlie's policy, claiming Renée had falsified documents. I also filed reports with the proper authorities to press charges against both Renée and Phil. They must have made bail.

Emmett pointed to his gun, and I mouthed the words, "Don't tempt me."

Big bastard smiled.

After holstering his weapon, he placed a hand on my shoulder and quietly said, "We're here for you, Bella. Nothing she says can change how much we love you."

Touched by his word, I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned to face the woman who had failed me as a parent. I noticed Leah was in between Esme and the people I used to call my mother and step-father. Her lip was curled as she bared her teeth and stood protectively before Esme.

"Who are you to make demands, Renée?"

She spun around to face me but when she realized it was me asking, her anger turned to fake happiness. "Bella! Sweetheart, I never imagined I would see you again."

She made a move to hug me. Freaking _hug_ me, like it was some kind of happy reunion. Luckily Emmett sensed my anger and disgust and stepped between me and the deranged woman. Leah joined my side but still stood a foot in front of me. She wasn't growling anymore, but I could tell she was still on edge. Renée's eyes grew wide and her movements halted at not only Emmett but the fifty pound Siberian Husky that blocked her path.

Phil came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her. He had let himself go, his gut paunchy and straining against his tucked in shirt, and I wondered if he still played ball.

"Is that any way to greet your mother, Bella?"

I ignored him. He wasn't my father. My father died looking for me, while Phil had called me names and ridiculed me when I needed help.

Looking at Renée, I noticed her skin was an unhealthy shade of brown, telling me she still spent too much time lounging in the sun. While I was fighting for a better life, she was catching rays. Her once bright blue eyes now only brought attention to the bags under them. She looked disheveled, and I took comfort in knowing she suffered somewhat through this whole ordeal. Shallow?—Perhaps.

"Why are you here?"

"When Phil and I discovered where you were, we came straight here to take you back home with us," she said with another forced smile.

"You knew where I was six years ago. Where were you then?"

Esme was standing behind her, and I noticed the corners of her mouth lifting as her eyes shined with pride. Knowing Esme, she was probably worried I would take Renée up on her offer. Silly woman.

Renée couldn't even answer. She looked to her damn husband. Phil cleared his throat before saying, "You need to understand, those were very difficult times for me and your mother and—"

"Why now?" I asked, cutting off Phil and focusing only on Renée. "How did you find me?"

"When we received those legal documents, we hired a private investigator. He found Mr. Jenks and the connection you have with the Cullens," she said, practically gritting out their name.

I raised an eyebrow at her, and she quickly pasted on that phony smile.

Emmett caused her to squeak as he boomed, "_You're_ responsible for the asshat that's been lurking around with a camera?"

"Naturally," Renée said while proudly lifting her head.

I gave Esme a reassuring smile when I noticed she must have come to the same conclusion as I had earlier. For some reason she looked guilty. She shouldn't have felt responsible for Renée's and Phil's reactions to the lawsuit. Esme was the one who supported me. She was the one who encouraged me to make something of my life, to pursue the things that made me happy.

She gave me a watery smile in return and walked to the other side of me, but Renée dragged my attention away from the strong mother figure I was fortunate enough to meet. "When we found out you were here, we knew we had to come see you."

Try to convince me to drop the charges was more like it.

"You shouldn't have come. I have nothing to say to you and I certainly have no desire to see you," I said, shocking both of them.

"You heard Bella. If you wish to contact her, you can do so through her lawyer," Esme said.

Renée turned to shoot Esme a glare before slowly turning back to me. The fake smile and cheerfulness was gone, and I was relieved to see her for what she really was— a bitter, desperate woman. Leah didn't share my opinion because her hackles rose as she let out a warning growl.

"Why do you need that money so bad, Bella? Huh?" I saw the smirk on Phil's face and knew what was coming as Renée continued. "We heard about you. The private investigator showed us your police record and told us you became a whore. Did you get tired of spreading your le—"

The loud smack was followed by Leah's excited barking, and I had to lunge to grab her by the collar. She was too strong for me, and Emmett was forced to help hold her back.

Renée clutched the side of her face in shock as Esme hissed, "I'll be _damned_ if you talk to Bella that way. You will leave my house. A house, I might add, that you forced your way into."

"You bitch," Renée cried out before springing at Esme.

But before Renée could lay her hands on her, a pair of arms grabbed Renée from behind and threw her to the ground. I looked at the new-comer but he was a stranger to me. Must have been who was on the phone with Emmett.

Phil tried to defend his wife by taking a swing at him, but the six-foot-tall man used Phil's own momentum to flip him. Once he had Phil face down, he twisted his arm, effectively pinning him on the ground. When he saw Renée scramble to her feet and start to rush him, he said, "I wouldn't do that. One wrong move and I could accidently snap crucial ligaments in your friend's shoulder."

He turned his gaze to Esme and asked, "Mrs. Cullen, are you alright?"

"Is _she_ alright? I was the one who was assaulted," Renée spat.

After Emmett's friend got a smile and nod from Esme, he turned back to Renée and said, "Did you or did you not force your way into this residence?"

"It's not the same," Renée sputtered. "I had reason to believe she was keeping my daughter from me."

He shook his head and said, "Doesn't give you the right to trespass. However, your actions give Mrs. Cullen the right to protect herself to those she sees as a threat in her home."

"Goddammit, Renée, don't say another word," Phil growled from the floor.

The sound of approaching sirens never sounded so good.

The police took all of our statements. When they found out Phil and Renée were both out on bond, the cuffs were slapped on, and the two were led to the back of a cruiser.

One of the arresting officers kept looking at Leah with his brow furrowed, and I knew he probably recognized her.

"Her name's Leah," I called out.

His eyes flooded with emotions. Shock. Sorrow. Happiness. Wonder.

He cleared his throat and blinked back tears as he wrapped his hands around his utility belt, tugging it up. "Do you think…?"

I nodded my head and let her off her leash. She approached him slowly and after recognizing his scent she jumped up on him, tail wagging. A couple of the other officers noticed and smiled. Though they didn't know her, they still came up to meet the former police officer.

After saying hello to them all, Leah came back and sat by my feet. The cop chuckled and said, "Well, I'm happy to see she's found a good home. She deserves it."

After taking a deep breath and a moment to collect himself, he said, "Miss Swan, do you wish to file a temporary restraining order?"

That was a hell yes. While he was telling me where to sign, I heard my name frantically being called.

"Boyfriend?"

I nodded my head before shouting Edward's name. I quickly found myself scooped into his arms as he buried his face in my hair. A throat cleared behind us, and I tried to turn back to the task of filling out the paper work, but Edward's grip was tight. After wiggling around a bit, I offered the police officer an apologetic smile and signed my name.

~C~C~C~

We were sitting in the living room, telling Edward, Jasper, Rose, and Alice what they had missed. Carlisle was still at the hospital, but everyone sat on the edge of their seats as Emmett told the tale, as only he could.

"Of course, the one thing you haven't done is introduce your friend to those who've yet to meet him," Esme said.

"Right. This is Bella, Jasper, and Rose," he said while pointing to each of us. "Everybody, this is my friend, Dean Wilder."

Jasper tried to hide a snicker and said, "Like Gene Wilder?"

Dean slowly rose to his feet with his fists clenched. His restraint caused the corded muscles in his impressive arms to flex, not that I was staring, and he said, "Go ahead. Call me Gene again, and see what happens."

Jasper stepped forward, accepting the challenge, but Alice threw her tiny body between the two and said, "He didn't mean anything by it. Did you Jasper?"

He looked like he was about to reply, "Why, yes I did, Alice." Before he could get the words out, Alice threw a sharp elbow in his stomach and growled, "Apologize to Dean."

"I'm not goin' to—"

"_Apologize_."

Jasper studied Alice for a second before turning to Dean and saying, "I'm sorry you have such an unfortunate name."

With that he turned on his heels and walked away, leaving some of us in shock and the rest in a fit of giggles. Alice rushed after him upstairs where we heard their hushed argument before the sound of their bedroom door slamming shut.

With Alice, Jasper, and Carlisle missing I wondered if we were still having dinner or if it was a more fend for yourself kind of night. I really didn't feel like cooking for everyone. Edward answered my question before I could get it out by saying, "Now that introductions are out of the way, I need to talk to Bella privately."

Ever since finding me with the police, he wouldn't let me out of his sight let alone leave my side. The only thing that could reassure him that I was there was the energy and spark we felt when we touched. He gave my hand a gentle tug, and I followed him upstairs.

"But what about dinner?" Emmett whined.

"Make a damn sandwich," he yelled over his shoulder.

Leah followed us up, but when we reached my bedroom Edward shut the door in her face. I heard her softly growl at him as she pawed at the door. He was only making it more difficult for himself.

"Edward," I scolded.

Before I could say anymore, he crashed his lips into mine. The only part of his body that was touching me was his mouth, yet I felt completely surrounded by his presence. He was holding back when I needed more.

I threaded my fingers in his hair and decided I didn't want him to cut it too short like we had discussed. If it was buzzed off, how could I tug on it?

He groaned when he felt my fingernails lightly drag against his scalp and finally wrapped his arms around me, molding his body to mine. I nibbled on his top lip while he sucked on my bottom, and after teasing my mouth he finally slid his tongue inside.

I loved Edward's kisses. He had been stealing them whenever he got a chance. Not that I was complaining. It was like he was making up for lost time, and I felt his apology and love in the tenderness he always used. Although the tenderness was still there, there was something frantic in this kiss, and I held him closer to me to try to soothe him.

His lips tasted like honey, and I whimpered at the sweetness of his mouth as he used his tongue to stroke mine. His hands slid down to my rear and lifted me up, urging me to wrap my legs around his waist. His lips trailed down my throat as he walked us to the bed.

Sitting on the edge he pulled me closer, and the movement triggered a rocking motion in my hips. Moaning at the sensation, he said, "I was so fucking scared. I thought… I thought…"

I brought his face back to mine, and looking him in the eyes I said, "I'm here. I'm safe."

Nodding his head, he seemed unaware that his hands had traveled under my shirt and that his fingertips were caressing the skin on my lower back. My grinding motions had slowed down, but I still felt the effect I had on him. The hard bulge in his lap was pressing deliciously against me, and I wanted more.

His green eyes became darker and his lips were swollen and pink from my attention. Both of our breathing was heavy with the pressure that had been building. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, the release I wanted… I _needed_.

"Bella, if anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. I love you so much, it hurts to think of a future if you're not in it," he said pulling me closer to him.

It was hard to think about what his was saying, the sweet words that were coming from his sinful lips, when he pressed me onto his hardness and used his hands to guide my hips in the rocking motion that felt good for the both of us. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as his lips returned to my neck. His tongue lapped at my pulse point, and I moaned as the heat from his mouth warred with the cold air in the room.

"Show me," I said panted out.

He pulled back, and I tried to pull his mouth back to my neck. He couldn't be moved so I was forced to stop rocking my hips and look him in the eyes. "Bella, are you sure?"

I nodded my head, but it wasn't enough for him. Shaking his head he said, "I need to hear you say it… out loud."

I slowly peeled off my shirt, rejoicing that he was having a hard time deciding whether to focus on my face or my bra-covered breasts. "Please, Edward. Make love to me?"

**Jacob POV**

I ended the call with Cujo and walked back to the room where Paul was working on Alec. We knew he had told somebody about what the bimbo had told him. Paul didn't hear who he was talking to, all he heard was, "Forks."

We had been watching them for weeks, learning the routes they took to "work," their habits, hell even how often they took dumps. We learned it all, watching and waiting.

Then the blonde had to go stick her nose job in where it shouldn't have been. Part of me felt bad that the girl ended up in a Dumpster, surrounded by rotting food and old flyers, but a bigger part said, "Served the bitch right."

Paul was using a crowbar to systematically beat the asshole. True I told Cujo that he was working him over, but I might have failed to mention that we hadn't started asking questions yet. No, the beating Alec was taking was all because he played a part in Bella Swan's captivity and the repeated rapings she endured. He might have not raped her, but he took her to the men who did.

When Paul saw me, he took a break and rested against the wall. He picked up his water bottle, took a chug, and arched a brow at me. Yeah, he didn't feel like wasting his energy, no matter how satisfying it was to beat Alec. Weeks we watched both him and Felix with the girls. Girls that could have been somebody's Bella.

"Here you must be thirsty," I deadpanned while throwing a cup of water in Alec's face.

The side of it was red and swollen, and the rag in his mouth was wet with saliva and blood. Paul had him on the ground, lying on his side, his hands secured behind his back with nylon cuffs. He shook the water out of his eyes and tried talking around the rag, but I really didn't care about what he had to say.

"You're gagged for a reason, asshole. Let's get something straight, we're not doing this because of what happened in that alley. None of us gave a fuck about that blonde bitch. I already know you don't have the information we need, Alec. Normally, my boy here would torture you until you gave us what we wanted to hear, but seeing how that isn't possible, we're going to give your pal Felix a call."

His eyes widened when he realized we knew who he was and what we were capable of.

"This can go one of two ways. You either die a quick death after you place that call, or you piss us off entirely and we stretch it out. You should know that your friends Bree and Diego didn't believe me, and _my_ friend here spent an entire day cutting into skin and breaking toes. Either way you're not leaving this room alive," I said with a cold smile.

* * *

**A/N: I usually don't do split chapters like this, so don't worry if you weren't crazy about it. Tell me what you think… good? Bad? Was it what you were expecting?**


	23. Exquisite Angel

Sorry, guys. RL kicked me while I was down. But not hard enough to keep me there ;)

I apologize for the wait.

Visual:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/angel_muse_love/set?id=29719715**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

* * *

_I know you've been sad  
I know I've been bad  
But if you'd let me  
Make you ribbons from a paper bag_

Josephine, you're so good to me  
And I know it ain't easy  
Josephine, you're so sweet  
You must taste just like sugar & tangerines

"_Josephine" by The Wallflowers_

**EPOV**

I placed a tender kiss on her full lips and looked into the deep pools of chocolate that I dreamed of each night while tucking a strand of hair behind the delicate shell of her ear.

She chose _me_.

She wanted to _be_ with _me_.

She wanted to feel _my_ kisses and to come undone by the things _I _did to her—the things she asked me to do to her. I wouldn't be one of the men who took such a beautiful creature into the darkness. I would watch her soar like a bird—blissful and free in nothing but pleasure as I worshiped her body. I would show her my love and devotion and she would never doubt that she held my heart.

Lifting her off my lap, I quickly erased the flash of doubt in her eyes by shedding my shirt and dropping to my knees. I placed a kiss on her exposed belly, and I closed my eyes, letting out a content sigh when I felt her tiny fingers running through my hair.

"Slide out of your shoes, baby," I whispered before helping hold her steady as she freed her feet.

Carefully, I unbuttoned her jeans, anxious to discover, since the first night we met, what kind of panties she wore. My hands slid down the soft skin of her thighs as I pushed the denim down, but my focus was on the slip of material in front of me.

My beautiful Bella didn't wear frills or lace. She was clad in tiny boyshorts with the picture of a smurf on it. It was so perfectly Bella, and I smiled at the sexy innocence her panties held.

"I-I wasn't expecting," she mumbled while placing her hands in front of her, blocking my view. "I know they're not sexy."

Looking up, I saw the blush that crept across her face and, if possible, found her more adorable than before.

"You don't know how wrong you are," I responded while lifting her hands away from my prize.

She nibbled on her lip as I slowly peeled off her panties and pulled her closer. I used my arms to cradle her cute ass while rubbing my nose in her tiny patch of hair. My dick became painfully harder as I caught the scent of her arousal.

"Edward?"

I heard the hesitance in her voice, but I wasn't sure if it was because she had never experienced the things I wanted to do for her. After placing a kiss directly on her mound, I whispered, "You're perfect, Bella."

"I didn't know if you wanted to do _that_," she said with a wave to her lower lips.

I smiled because she didn't know "_that_" was a reoccurring fantasy of mine, and one that would hopefully come true.

"Bella, can I taste you?"

Her breath hitched before she gave a shaky nod and continued to bite her lip. The luscious piece of flesh I would suck on and soothe if she kept up her torment.

But first, there was another piece of Bella's flesh I wanted to worship with my mouth. Placing feather light kisses along the length, I placed her left leg over my shoulder. I licked at her slit, groaning at the sweet tanginess that was Bella.

Her dewy core was proof I was doing something right. Her flushed skin and swollen lips were invitations to continue my attentions. The sounds coming from her made me desperate to hear more.

God, the sounds.

They drove me crazy, a symphony of sexy whimpers and breathy moans, and I fought not to cut her pleasure short just so I could hurry to my own release. After slipping my tongue in and out of her tight passage, I focused on the little bundle of nerves that would push her over the edge, using the tip of my tongue to tease it. She started to squirm away, and my first instinct was to stop. I went to pull back but found her tiny hands held a tight grip on my hair, forcing me closer to her.

My angel didn't know how to process the pleasure.

I calmed her down by slowly dragging my tongue against her sensitive center while working on freeing myself from my pants. Once my cock was freed, I fought to not stroke myself, wanting to wait until Bella fed me her sweet juices.

I wanted to nip at her, but I was hesitant of doing anything remotely aggressive. I would not fuck up the chance that Bella was giving me. Instead, I got lost in the taste of my angel.

Even with my attention no longer focused on her clit, she began chanting my name. Her right leg started shaking as the pressure mounted, eventually giving out on her, and I struggled to shift her over to the bed. Once I was sure she was safe, I turned my focus back to her clit, sucking it into my mouth. Selfish, greedy bastard that I was, not once did I separate from her dripping slit as she reached her climax.

It was for me.

The release that she gifted _me_.

I slowed my licks but made sure not to waste a single drop. I smiled at the occasional aftershock that hit her body as I cleaned her. She was beautiful when she was soaring.

Tangy, sweet, and uninhibited.

"Edward, I need you."

As I stood to remove both my shoes and clothes, I was happy that she couldn't take her eyes off of me, my cock twitching as she licked her lips. I climbed into her bed, occupying the space next to her. She surprised me by rolling onto her side and slightly hovered over me before plunging her tongue into my mouth. Fuck me, she was tasting herself, and my hips bucked in response.

"Take what you want from me, Bella. I'm yours," I rasped when we separated.

She blushed and raked her eyes down my body. Leaning forward, she hesitantly dragged her warm tongue across my nipple, and our spark shot straight from nipple down to my dick. I needed more. I clutched the bed sheets in my struggle not to pull her closer.

Encouraged by the groans coming from me, her tongue continued its sweet torment and went to my other nipple before traveling down my chest. The strands of her hair trailed down my torso adding to the sensation caused by her warm, wet tongue, dancing across the ridges of my abs.

I panted out her name, my hips jerking up in search of friction.

She made her way back up, licking the underside of my jaw and gave the occasional nip. I loved how she felt free to be playful in her exploration of my body. She trusted that I would allow her to take what she needed without rushing her. I could do this for Bella. I would lie here and patiently wait for her to discover how my body responded to the things she did.

When she was satisfied in her study, she whispered in my ear, "Touch me, Edward," before giving my earlobe a gentle tug between her teeth.

My fingers ached in protest as I unfurled them, stiff from my tight grip on the sheets. I helped her straddle my body, my fingers stroking the soft skin of her thighs. My dick was trapped between us, her slick center sliding along the length. I watched as the crown peeked out, and yes, that bastard was weeping because he was so close to being inside her. Both Bella and I moaned as the sensitive underside of my cockhead rubbed against her hard, little nub. My eyes traveled up her exquisite body.

"Exquisite?"

I smiled, guessing I said that part out loud. "It's true."

She was still wearing the blue bra that matched her panties. The creamy tops of her breasts teased me, and my fingers traveled up her torso, ghosting over her soft flesh to trace the fabric prison.

I carefully sat up to capture her lips and slid my hands behind her to undo the clasp that kept her hidden. I stopped when she tensed, trailed kisses down her jaw, and whispered in her ear, "Bella, you're beautiful. Please let me see you."

She shyly nodded her head as I freed her from the last bit of clothing. I placed a reverent kiss on her pouty lips before leaning back and saying, "Exquisite."

The soft patter of rain hitting the window pane reflected our slow and easy lovemaking. There was no violent lightning or the primal base of thunder. I cherished her—my angel. Like the rain, I wanted to wash away the nightmares and replace them with unquestionable love. I held her close, telling her how my heart belonged to her as she reached her climax, and knowing no truer words were spoken had me following her over that peak.

In the early morning, I heard, "Edward… I love you."

I looked down at a sleeping Bella and smiled. Even though I knew I was fortunate enough to make love to Bella, I still wanted more. I wanted her to love me back. I won't lie; it hurt when she didn't say it during the act. Afterwards, I worried that it was fate punishing me for how I treated Lauren, that I would be forced to experience unrequited love.

Bella dashed those fears with those four little words, and she wasn't even awake.

I slipped out of bed and carefully made my way to the bathroom. After washing up and leaving a note for Bella, I went to my old bedroom to grab some workout clothes and sneakers. I decided that I would start my morning by kissing Leah's ass. I was going to play nice with the pooch. Bella made a comment after our lovemaking while I was feeding her in bed that Leah was not happy with me.

She was downstairs, sleeping under the piano, but she came out when she heard the clank and jingle of her leash. A slow approach and a weary look told me Bella was right, but I was determined to gain back the progress I had made with the Husky.

~C~C~C~

"I am a bodyguard, not a dishwasher."

Jasper shot Dean a withering glare and said, "If you helped dirty the dishes, you help clean them. Those are the rules in this house, and they apply to everyone."

Hearing the soft peal of laughter, Dean looked at Bella and my sisters who were watching the on-going feud between the two. "Fine," he snapped, "but you're washing."

Rose strolled over to her husband and after tucking her head under his arm, she said, "Honey, why don't you give them a hand?"

He gave her a dubious look and said, "It doesn't take three people to do the dishes."

Alice smiled and said, "No, but you could empty the dishwasher while Jasper pre-washes and Dean loads."

"What about Edward?" Em whined, causing both Jasper and Dean to laugh.

"Sorry boys. Edward helped us girls cook," Bella said while tugging me out of the kitchen.

I noticed the sly smile traded between her and Alice but instead of being concerned, I was happy their friendship was doing better. I had even heard the two of them giggling earlier in Bella's closet.

"Edward?"

I looked at the vision before me. She was wearing a tank top and jeans. The only reason I cared about what she was wearing was because I knew for a fact she had on another pair of boyshorts—this one in plaid. She had her hair up in a ponytail, and I took advantage of her exposed neck by placing open-mouth kisses along the length as I said, "Yes, beautiful Bella?"

"Can you play something for me on the piano?"

As we walked to the powerful instrument, I noticed my parents sitting in the living room. I pulled Bella down next to me on the piano bench and asked, "And what would you like to hear?"

"The one with the pretty notes."

I smiled, kissed her head which was resting on my shoulder, and said, "The one with the pretty notes, huh?"

"Mm-hmm."

I played one of the many pieces inspired by her. My soul lay bare as the piece started out with an underlying panic then worked to sadness and ended with the melodies intertwined as the notes danced in the air in unmistakable bliss. It was a visceral portrayal of how my goddess soothed my soul by coming back into my life.

"I love you," Bella whispered.

"Thank you, Bella," I said, pulling her into my lap. "I love you too."

~C~C~C~

Although it was summer, the mornings were still cool, and both Leah and I were grateful that the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. It was the second morning that I had decided to run to town then back, and when we were turning down the corner of Spartan and East, I saw an ambulance speeding to the hospital. With Forks being the small town that it was, all my attention was drawn to the uncommon sight.

By the time Leah and I returned home, we were both panting and in need of cool water. The rest of my family was eating breakfast in the kitchen with the exception of Carlisle, and I asked Bella to wait for me before taking off. The morning before, I was a little anxious when Bella wasn't at the house when I returned after my run. My heart beat funny, and I knew it had nothing to do with the cardio. The feeling was too close to the panic I felt when I saw the police cruisers parked outside of my parents house.

After a quick shower, I made my way downstairs, snagged a banana along with my leather satchel, and followed my goddess and her newly acquire bodyguard to the car. Even though I saw the way she eyed the muscles in his arms the night she met him, I didn't feel threatened… Pfft. I _didn't_.

If anybody had to worry about Dean, it was Jasper. Em's friend had a habit of losing his shirt whenever Alice was around. He didn't have any feeling for my sister; he was just fucking with Jasper. Alice had a bit of a school girl crush on the former Marine that stemmed from when Emmett brought him home during a holiday furlough. A then nineteen year old Alice followed him around like a puppy, and when he and Emmett left, she swore her heart would "only beat for him." Those were her exact words.

I wasn't worried about Dean making a move on Bella. When he was with her, he was always a complete professional. However, after showing my love on a physical level, I felt it hard to be separated from her, especially with the threat of Demitri lurking overhead. Sometimes I wasn't even aware of my need to touch her. I only realized the calm I felt after placing a hand on her hip or caressing the small of her back. Besides, Bella seemed to have an equally hard time keeping her hands off of me. Esme's offer to return home didn't matter; it would take an act of God to keep me from Bella.

"So, Dean?" Bella hedged.

"Hmm?" he responded from the front passenger seat.

"What's the deal with the name?"

I smiled as I turned into the women's center, waiting to hear his answer. Bella decided to focus on her studying since her GEDs were in less than a week, and we were spending the day at Esme's women's center.

"My dad wasn't in the picture when I was a kid, and when I was in middle school, my mother decided to remarry." He held the car door open for Bella and surveyed our surroundings before saying, "He adopted me, and my mom asked me to change my last name too, so we could feel like a family. He was a good guy for my mother, and I could never say no to her."

Bella stopped just outside the doors and said, "That's really sweet, Dean."

He rolled his eyes at her and said, "Edward, can you please get your girlfriend to go inside?"

I chuckled at the blush Bella caused in somebody else while lifting her and carrying her inside. Instead of the protest I was expecting, Bella snuggled against my chest. I placed her on her feet when we reached the study area Esme had had set-up, but not before giving Bella a kiss.

I worked on compositions, iPod buds in my ears, while making notes on the lined sheet music. Since getting back together with Bella, my music had improved and Garrett was not the only one excited about the return of my muse. After a few hours, I felt someone staring at me. I looked up and caught Bella watching me. She gave that beautiful blush, and I found myself out of my seat and walking in her direction.

"Are you ready for a break?" I asked, lips skimming her earlobe.

"Uh-huh," she breathed.

"Good," Dean responded with a clap, ripping us out of the bubble we had created. "I'm starving."

We made our way to the car, and like before, Dean insisted Bella sit behind him while I drove. I was all for protecting Bella but was a little disappointed that I couldn't hold her hand in mine. Yes, I was well aware that my balls and dick were replaced with a vadge.

Before we reached the house, my cell beeped with an incoming texted, and I handed it back to Bella so she could read it to me.

"Carlisle wants to see us sometime this afternoon."

We decided to check in with him before grabbing a bite. As we entered the hospital lobby, I noticed both Pastors Weber and Cheney in the waiting room. I thought about stopping to say hello but figured they were probably there to console a family, so I headed to the elevator with Bella and Dean in tow.

Once we reached the safety of the elevator, I wrapped Bella in my arms and buried my nose in her hair, taking in her sweet subtle scent that was undeniably feminine and one hundred percent Bella. I ignored Dean's eye-roll and enjoyed having my angel in my arms again.

"So Leah seems to have forgiven you," she said, smiling up at me.

"I'm just lucky she likes going on runs."

When we reached Carlisle's office, I heard moaning coming from the other side of the door. I pressed my ear against the wood, only to hear Carlisle groan, "That's my naughty nurse. You feel so good."

I was vaguely aware of Dean pulling Bella away as I pounded on the door and shouted, "What the hell is going on? Old man, that better be a nickname for your hand!"

I would kill him for doing this to Esme. That ungrateful, egotistical son of a bitch! To think, he would subject my mother to heartbreak and humiliation just to get his rocks off.

There were frantic whispers coming from inside the office. Just as I was about to pound on the door again, I heard the click of the lock, and my father's flushed face appeared. Without thinking, I pulled back my fist and allowed it to snap forward, connecting with his chin.

"Edward!"

My head shot up, my attention split between my father's prone body and the two-bit skank parading as a nurse. I blinked in confusion, trying to process what I was seeing. Why was she there?

Esme.

Esme was the naughty nurse. Realization hit me, and I was relieved we decided to hold off on lunch.

Seeing the mixture of shock and disgust on my face, she quickly said, "Now Edward, what your father and I do behind closed doors—"

"Ah-ah-ah! Stop! Just stop," I said waving my hands in her direction. "I don't need to know anymore. Why did you call us here?"

I turned to hear what Carlisle had to say. He was picking himself up and rubbing the spot where my fist had connected with his face. Not that I felt bad for what I did. If I had to feel discomfort, dammit, he did too.

"First off, we didn't expect you to get here so soon." Seeing my wince, he left it at that and said, "Bella was requested by a patient who was admitted early this morning."

Knowing he wouldn't divulge any more information on the mystery patient, I nodded and said, "She's outside with Dean."

I was about to follow Carlisle out of the office, but a tug on my hand stopped me. I turned back and noticed my mother looking at me with misty eyes. With a sad smile, she said, "Thank you for sticking up for me, Edward. It's nice to know where you'd stand if Carlisle was ever crazy enough to cheat."

I gave her a tight hug and said, "I don't know what you're talking about because none of this happened."

She gave me an indulgent smile and linked her arm through mine as we walked down the hall. We found Carlisle talking to Bella outside of a private patient room, and Esme slowed her gait and said, "Bella's going to need your support and love. She'll feel guilty for things that were out of her control and that nobody could have predicted."

She left, hand in hand with my father, in the hall with those ominous words. Bella was standing outside the door, looking like she'd rather run in the other direction. Walking up behind her, I wrapped my arm around her waist and said, "I'll be here for you when you're done."

I didn't know who was on the other side of the door and what they wanted with my love. What I did know was I couldn't go in there and face the challenge for her, and Bella wouldn't want me to either. All I could do was offer her security, love, and faith that she could overcome obstacles like she had in the past.

As she entered the dimly lit room, the door was opened far enough for me to see the person laying on the hospital bed. Ice flooded my veins when I realized Pastors Weber and Cheney weren't in the waiting room to console a family. They were there because one of their own was injured.

Sweet and outgoing Angela Cheney looked like she went toe-to-toe with a heavy weight boxer. Her busted lip and bruised face reminded me of the injures Bella first arrived with. Injuries from a man who used to call her Angela.

I turned to Dean who, despite his size, managed to stay in the background and said, "He's in Forks."


	24. Dark Places and Glowing Retribution

So this is another Pack chapter in Seattle. If you don't like seeing our boys doing bad things to bad people, don't read it. **But you have been warned!**

Visual:

**http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/alpha/set?id=29860439**

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

Warning: contains topics of rape, torture, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.

* * *

_Let's dig a hole in the sand, brother  
A little grave we can fill together  
I got myself a problem  
That I been looking to sell_

_Some people die just a little_  
_Sometimes you die by the drop_  
_Some people die in the middle_  
_I live just fine on the top_

"_Die By The Drop" by The Dead Weather_

**Jacob POV**

Felix's body crumpled to the ground, hands tied behind his back, blood spilling from his busted mouth and the gash over his swollen eye. He grunted as the size eleven boot connected with his side, but the smirk on his face still wouldn't come off. Paul had pulled me aside, asking if we should stop Sam, but I told him no.

Sam needed this.

He needed to remember why we were here. I knew the asshole was goading Sam on, saying, "If he doesn't kill her when he finds her, he'll play with her first." He stopped to spit out the blood that had pooled in his mouth before saying, "And that little bitch was a lot of fun. That tight little body and that sexy scream—"

Wrong thing for a rapist to tell Sam. His kick to the jaw didn't shut him up because the bastard went on to chuckle and say, "I hope he brings her back. I haven't had my fill yet."

I pulled Sam back when it looked like the next kick would be aimed at his temple—lights fucking out. I _did_ want him unconscious though. "Sam, I think it's time for Felix to take a quick nap."

Sam smiled as he walked behind Felix and placed him in a perfect chokehold. It took all three of us to string the fucker up in the new warehouse space we had rented out. He was hanging from his arms, naked, his feet barely grazing the ground. When he finally came to, he noticed his new position, and the demented cocksucker laughed. "I am going to kill you guys when I get out. Do you think you're the first to come asking about Angela?"

"Angela?" Sam asked.

Felix's smile faltered but he regained his confidence and said, "Yeah, the hot little brunette that disappeared a few months ago. She had the prettiest brown eyes, especially when she cried."

Instead of dwelling on the things he probably did to make her cry, we all looked at each other and thought about what we had just learned. The alias was probably something that was in the doc's precious files, and it would have been nice to have that little tidbit before we started with Felix.

Sam paced behind me as I slowly approached Felix and said, "You're responsible for taking out the cop." He clammed up, his lips turning white as he pressed them together. "Oh, we already know about it, but what we can't figure out is why nobody looked into the homicide of a highly decorated police officer… You're not so chatty now, huh?"

He looked away, but in trying to avoid my gaze he saw Paul enter the warehouse carrying a five gallon, metal bucket and wearing welder gloves. Paul was feeling especially brutal and decided to work with heat. In the bucket he had hot coals to keep his sharp friends glowing.

"I'm going to kill you fuckers as soon as I get down!"

Paul smiled at the threat and said, "Perhaps, but first we're going to talk."

The smell of singed hair and burnt flesh I could do without, but the shrieks were worth it. The rope cut into Felix's wrists as he struggled unsuccessfully to get away from the orange glow of the metal spike in Paul's hand.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know!"

"Why was the murder covered up?" I asked, stopping Paul's actions.

Silence.

The silence was quickly broken by the sizzle of the metal pressing against Felix's right triceps.

"The mayor!" he shrieked and then slumped as Paul pulled away. "His nephew is a client that really liked Angela."

I noticed that Sam was still pacing, his angry gaze fascinated in the pain Paul had inflicted. First and second-degree burns were spread across Felix's body. I could tell Sam wanted more, but the problem with third-degree burns was the wound could go numb. What would be the point if he couldn't feel the pain. Sam didn't care; he forgot about the why's because he let that sick fuck get to him—cloud his judgement. His mind was going to a dark place, and that was the last thing I needed. "Sam."

His head jerked in my direction, the bloodlust fading from his eyes.

"I need you to do what you do best," I said, nodding my head to the back room where his laptop was set-up. He looked back at Felix. "Sam!"

He nodded his head before leaving. Relieved, I turned my attention back to the strung-up asshole and said, "Where can I find this nephew?"

Silence again.

Paul put a rag in Felix's mouth and went to work on him, only this time he didn't let up when Felix tried to talk around the cloth. It was a demonstration of who was running the show, and it sure as hell wasn't Felix. Twenty minutes later and Felix's body was threatening to go into shock. Paul would pause to bring his blood pressure back up only to continue the lesson of what happened when you refuse to cooperate.

When Paul decided his body needed a longer break, he removed the rag, and I asked, "Where is the nephew?"

Felix's eyes darted back to Paul before he quickly said, "I-I-I don't know. I really don't! He always asks to meet in some pay-by-the-hour hotel, usually somewhere on Fifth."

"Next question, is Heidi with Demetri?"

His eyes blazed briefly before he got his emotions in check. It didn't matter; both Paul and I saw it. He had something for Heidi.

As I headed to see how Sam was doing, I heard Paul say, "You know we're going to find them, but that's not what has you so quiet. You're quiet because not only is Heidi _not_ with your friend, but somewhere along the way, you fell for her."

I heard the sizzle and hiss which meant either Felix chose to stay quiet or Paul had gagged him and decided he wasn't ready for him to talk. I found Sam with a look of concentration on his face as the light of the screen illuminated the darkened room. "Got anything?"

Without looking up, he answered, "Mayor Volturi has one nephew living in the Seattle area, a James McGain. And get this, his wife is named Victoria."

"Vic and Jamie? So Jamie is the guy, not Vic?"

"Looks like," he said while typing.

"Did you get an address?"

"Working on it."

"Nice work," I said before going back to Paul.

I saw that not only was he still using the hot pokers, but he was taunting an un-gagged Felix in his annoying, passive-aggressive voice. "It must suck knowing that she went home to him each night. To know not only was he fucking the woman you love, but he had first dibs on all of them, didn't he? How did it feel to get his sloppy seconds?"

Felix's jaw was clenched and his nostrils flare, but it wasn't because he was fighting against the pain of the hot metal. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about!"

It figured that the weakness of a juggernaut like Felix was a woman. Brute force wouldn't do it but talk about the bitch he loved, and he was putty in the hands of a persuasion genius like Paul.

"I will kill you motherfuckers if you go anywhere near her!"

A cold smile spread across Paul's face before he said, "But I think I want to have my _own_ kind of fun with your little girlfriend. Maybe I'll get to hear her 'sexy little scream.'"

~C~C~C~

James and Victoria McGain were living in a comfy condo in the illustrious Escala. We were looking at the structural blueprints of the place when I got a phone call from my friend, Dean Wilder.

"Candyman! How the fuck are you?"

Dean chuckled before saying, "Good, good. I got a call from Cujo so I'm heading up to Washington."

"You there to watch Bella?"

"Yeah, you know about it?"

"Nice girl, shitty things in her past. We're actually looking into who took out her father," I said. It was a partial truth. No need to tell him what we were doing in Seattle. The fewer people that knew we were here, the better.

"So that's why you're not doing this gig?"

"Yeah, but I'm glad Cujo got someone who knows what the fuck they're doing." I took a deep breath before saying, "Listen man, this girl… she's special. She's like Cujo's family and…"

"Sounds like you fell for her," he said with a chuckle.

"No, I know she's too good for me. Just make sure you keep a close eye on her. The fucker coming after her isn't playing around."

"Is there anything else I should know?" he asked, all traces of kidding pushed aside.

"Yeah, one guy by the name of Demetri. He should be alone unless he's picked someone up along the way, but I doubt it. Also if he has time, he'll most likely rape her before he kills her," I said between gritted teeth.

The thing I liked about Dean was he never asked how intel came out. Before hanging up, he said, "I'll keep her safe."

~C~C~C~

Sam and I approached the Escala front desk in time to hear Paul say in a bored voice to the guy manning it, "I'm here for the open house party."

"Whose guest?" the guard asked.

"Sotheby Real Estate. Now… Clark," Paul said, looking at his name badge, "if you're finished with your impressive security protocol, do you mind telling me which floor it's on?"

"Um… um…," Clark rambled as he flipped through papers on his little wooden clipboard. I almost felt bad for the guy as he wiped away the perspiration that was collecting on his forehead. Paul just had a natural ability to intimidate and un-nerve people.

"Um… um?" Paul asked, sliding the smart phone he had been playing with into the inside pocket of the blazer he was wearing.

"The twenty-fourth?"

"Are you actually asking me something _you_ should know?"

"N-no, sir. It is."

Paul strutted away to the elevators to supposedly attend the real estate party that was happening three floors below our destination. Clark saw me and Sam standing there in our coveralls with the electric company logo on the chest, and he muttered, "What an asshole."

I handed the work order to him and said, "Man, I do not envy you."

He still looked shaken up as he said, "Yeah, I should be used to it." He looked over to the elevator that Paul had taken and said with a dry chuckle, "Asshole punched the wrong button, and _I_'m the dumb shit."

Sam and I exchanged grins as Clark looked over the form. "So you're working on some wiring on the twenty-sixth floor?"

"Yeah, if you get complaints about the power going out, just tell them it's temporary and that we're working on it," I said.

"That'll be fun," he said with a grimace.

"Tell them it's for security measures. That should shut them up."

He laughed saying, "That is what they pay for."

"Alright thanks, man," I said, taking the order back from him, and Sam and I headed for the same elevator that Paul used.

As soon as the doors closed, Sam and I stepped out of the coveralls, shoved them in our bags, and put on our gloves. "How are we on surveillance?"

Sam sniffed before saying, "Hit it when you were chatting with Clark… And even if I was going to be messing with the wires, I have yet to cut the wrong one."

I grinned, knowing I hit a nerve with Sam. He hated all of that Mission Impossible bullshit. Should he cut the red wire or the yellow one? We weren't going to fuck with the lights, but I was fucking with him.

We got off on twenty-six, knowing Clark would be watching to see which floor we exited. Before the doors closed, Sam swiped his hand down the panel of all the lower floor buttons so the elevator wouldn't be a problem. As soon as the doors closed, I took a metal elevator key to pry the doors open, and Sam and I started scaling the cables.

"How the hell did Paul manage to get out of this?" Sam grumbled.

I laughed, knowing all about their argument over who got to play the asshole. There were a few reasons for having him get there before us. One, we needed a diversion that would shake-up the guard at the desk so he wouldn't realize the work order was a fake; and two, three electricians would look a _little_ suspicious.

Paul already had the door open for us, and as we climbed out, I said, "I already told you, Paul looks the part so of course he got to be the asshole."

"Fuuuuck you, Alpha," Paul said while working on the lock on James' and Victoria's door. His blazer was off and his sleeves rolled up as he picked the single lock keeping us out.

So much for high security measures. A guard at the desk, cameras, and private vestibules caused people to think a simple lock would keep them safe. The bright side was, because of their skewed perception of security, we wouldn't have to worry about an alarm being triggered.

I set down my tool bag and retrieved the "tools" I would need. I strapped on my thigh rig but instead of holstering my Glock, I screwed the suppressor on and kept it in hand. Sam would stay in the vestibule, monitoring surveillance on his laptop and making sure we weren't detected while Paul covered me. It was supposed to be a quick hit.

I noticed there was no light coming from under the door, which meant the light from the vestibule could give us away when we opened the door. I turned to Sam and said, "Lights."

He flicked me off while using his other hand to gesture to the ostentatious chandelier hanging in the vestibule. I rolled my eyes and decided not to piss him off further by asking him to go into the wires. He could do it, but it was beneath the stubborn son of a bitch. _Fine_, but if I got shot, I was going to kick his ass.

I quietly darted into the entryway with Paul on my heels. The door closed behind us, leaving us in the darkened hall. There was a glow coming from the living room where I also heard moaning and grunting. It was the next sound that had me removing the suppressor on my piece and holstering both. It was the sound of a woman screaming as a man groaned out, "God, I miss that slut. Don't you miss her, Vic? Miss watching me punish her with my cock?"

"Yes, yes, yes," she wailed.

After taking a peek around the corner, I angrily signaled to Paul that the plan had changed—he was going to take point. The sick fucks were getting off to footage of him raping Bella. Paul peered around the corner, and I saw his body tense up. He too holstered his gun and brought out his KA-BAR. They're deaths weren't going to be quick, and they sure as hell weren't going to be painless.

James had Victoria bent over the coffee table, facing the TV. We hit them fast, giving them no time to cry out. Paul used the handle of his knife to knock out James and quickly hauled his body away as I wrapped my forearm around Victoria's throat and gently pushed her head forward, cutting off the blood flow to her head.

I cast a glance at the DVD shelf but only saw movies that had been released in the theater. "We're not leaving until I've removed every trace of Bella. I don't want anybody to see her that way," I growled.

Paul nodded his head, understanding my need to protect her from those assholes and anybody who might come looking for answers. He turned a predatory gaze on the twisted couple, slumped over on the couch. I handed him some nylon cuffs, and he placed the two in restraints.

I turned back to the television in time to see James choking Bella as he brutally thrust into her while his wife spit in her face. It was one thing to know they raped her, but it was an entirely different thing to see it. Bella's sweet face was contorted by pain. It was a grotesque red that was far from the innocent blush I remembered. Her cheeks were streaked with mascara as she cried, gasping for air. I turned the video off, my stomach threatening to empty itself. It was a good thing Sam was waiting outside. No telling how he would have reacted to seeing that.

James woke up as Paul finished gagging Victoria. "Do you know who you're fu—"

I was happy Paul shut the son of a bitch up. Just hearing his voice made me want to break his fucking teeth. Hell, everything about him made me want to hurt him. "We know exactly who you are, Mr. McGain. This will be over quickly, just tell me where the rest of your homemade movies are. My friend is going to remove your gag, and it'd be wise to remember that we will fuck you up if you piss us off."

As soon as Paul removed the gag, James started screaming for help. Unfortunately for James, Paul gripped the sides of his mouth, forcing it open as he put the sharp blade of the KA-BAR inside.

"I think you just volunteered to have your tongue removed… No? Then shut the fuck up," Paul hissed. Paul wasn't as gentle in removing the blade, but James' painful cry was cut off when the gag was replaced. He turned his focus on Victoria who shrank back with tears in her eyes. "Mrs. McGain, I'm not going to hurt you, but I have no problem carving up your husband if you don't answer our questions."

Her eyes grew wide, and when Paul removed the rag in her mouth, she whispered, "And then you'll leave?"

Of course we would leave, but not before finishing the hit.

"I'm not like you and your husband. I don't enjoy hurting people—I'm just good at it," Paul said.

That wasn't completely true. Nothing we said was spoken with complete honesty. It wasn't going to be over quickly and although he usually didn't like hurting people, he would make an exception of her and her husband. She watched and participated while her husband brutalized Bella. The kind girl who treated us like we weren't monsters. The girl who cooked for us and was interested in _who_ we were and not in what we did. The girl who didn't judge us like we would judge the McGains and any fucker who took part in her suffering.

Victoria whimpered at his words and her eyes shot in the direction of the master bedroom. She licked her dry lips and said, "They're in the master closet."

I headed in the direction, recalling the layout from the blueprints, and left Paul to "watch" James and Victoria. After rummaging past the clothes, I found a large container filled with disc cases. It took time to find each one labeled "Angela" and the amount of footage disgusted me, knowing the painful things they did to Bella. I grabbed all of them and an extra, labeled with another girl's name.

I walked back to the living room and wasn't really surprised at the sight that met me. Paul was whispering in Victoria's ear while she screamed around the rag in her mouth. Her face was scrunched in pain with blood spilling from where her right eye should have been. He was punishing her for every time she watched and took pleasure in Bella's pain.

I wondered briefly why he only stopped with one eye, but Paul was nothing if not methodical. There was always a logical reason for the things he did or didn't do. The reason was lying at Victoria's feet—James' hacked off penis.

The dickless fucker was rocking back in forth with blood spilling from his groin, making an eerie, guttural moan because of his split tongue. Victoria's other eye was left untouched so she could see what Paul had done to her husband. She was trembling with tears and blood spilling down her face. Although, she was probably more terrified with what Paul was whispering to her. His psychological torture was, in ways, worse than the physical pain he inflicted. When she saw me, her one eye filled with hope, like I would save her. Hope that I would put an end to the nightmare.

I would, but it wouldn't end the way she wanted. "Paul, put these in the duffle outside."

Victoria's body relaxed as Paul listened to the order I gave and left with the footage of Bella, including the disc they were watching. I took the only disc that wasn't of Bella and placed it in the DVD player. This one showcased a blonde.

I didn't look at her face.

I drew my Glock and made a show of attaching the suppressor. I shot a look to Victoria before putting two bullets in her husband's head. She followed him but not before I said, "Sucks feeling helpless, huh? See you in hell, bitch."

Whoever found them would know why they were taken out. There wouldn't be an investigation. The mayor would cover it up, probably happy that he wouldn't have to clean up after his nephew's fetish anymore. Couldn't have a scandal before re-election.

~C~C~C~

"What's next," Sam asked.

"Heidi," I answered, spinning my phone on the table top.

We were sitting in another goddamn coffee house, recuperating after dealing with the McGains, Felix, and Alec in such a short period of time. It was six hits total and a lot of blood spilled. It didn't matter how much they deserved what happened, the experience still left us feeling fucking tainted. Seattle and their coffee houses. If I never see another fucking Starbucks it will be too soon.

"So we're going after her, huh?" Sam said looking out the window.

"That's a definite yes," answered Paul as he stared at his untouched latte. "Bitch was behind it all. She made all the connections and handled all the money. Everybody was replaceable. She also knew what her boyfriend was doing to Bella while she snuck away to meet Felix."

Sam nodded his head before covering his face with his hands and slowly exhaled. Seeing his mind was going in dark places again, I said, "Hey man, you hear from Emily?"

Bastard couldn't stop the smile from taking over his face as he explained his suspicions that she was pregnant and waiting to surprise him.

I smiled and said, "This calls for a celebration."

"That's what I'm talking about," Paul said excitedly. "Tonight we feast to the birth of Baby Uley!"

That meant I would be paying for steak dinners. I smiled because my pack was worth it. They stuck by me even if it cost them a good night's sleep. I wasn't stupid; I knew how Seattle was getting to both Sam and Paul. It made them second guess themselves and doubt who they were as men. Usually our targets weren't women and Paul wouldn't have to use his tactics. A hit was mostly recon followed by taking out the target.

Seattle was different. It wasn't cut and dry; it was emotional as fuck and pushed us outside our comfort zones. It wasn't another job; it was retribution and it was personal.

What the boys didn't know was that as soon as we got a beat on Heidi, I was sending Sam home to his pregnant wife and Paul home to do whatever the hell it was that helped chase away his demons. I would finish the hunt alone. It wouldn't be fair to ask them to come with me.

I hated having loose ends.

That's all Heidi was—a loose end.

Maybe when I was finished, I would go back to New York. Cujo and Candyman could handle Demetri. I wondered if I could find the cute little red-head and work on making a Baby Black… forget about this line of work. Maybe I could do what Candyman did and have a more respectable profession.

But like Paul and persuasion, hits were something I was good at.

* * *

**A/N: Well, we're getting closer to the end. Let me know what you thought of the boys. **


	25. Monster at My Door

**We're coming close to the end, folks! I'd say no more than five chapters left.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.**

**Warning: contains topics of rape, torture, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.**

* * *

_Where are the people that accused me?  
The ones who beat me down and bruised me  
They hide just out of sight, can't face me in the light  
They'll return but I'll be stronger  
"Unbreakable" by Fireflight_

**BPOV**

Angela.

When I saw her last, I was in the produce department at the local grocer's. I needed eggplant for a stupid veggie lasagna. She had asked me how everything was going and told me that she heard about what really happened to me in Seattle. She was so sweet, telling me how brave she thought I was. I went to church the following Sunday but I didn't get a chance to talk to her.

Would she hate me now?

Would she know that the man who hurt her was looking for me?

Would she blame me for bringing that evil from Seattle to the safe little town she'd lived in all her life?

The only light source in the room came from the wall mount above her bed. She was hooked up to machines, wires coming from her frail body. Her face, God her face, was a patchwork of deep purples and angry reds. Her left eye was swollen shut, there was a bandage across the bridge of her nose, and her mouth had been busted so badly that they needed stitches to repair the lacerations.

My vision blurred and I had to bite the fleshy part of my palm to muffle the sob that wanted to escape. How could she ever forgive me for being the reason behind her assault?

No. This wasn't my fault. This was all that asshole Demetri's doing. I had never wanted to hurt somebody so badly before. Even when I tried to recover from my own injuries, I was never this pissed off.

Why Angela? Why her? Out of all the people in this tiny town, she was one of the few who didn't treat me like filth, or like I was a blemish on the face of humanity. She was kind, and she was my friend. And that fucking bastard put his filthy hands on her.

"Bella? Is that you?"

I crept closer to her bed and whispered, "Yeah, Angela, it's me." Why was it hospitals always made me want to whisper?

The room was quiet, neither one of us really wanting to talk about what had happened. Finally she spoke. "I can't get the sound of his voice out of my head. He kept saying, 'You're not Angela. You're not Angela.' And it confused me so much," she whimpered. After a few deep breaths, she asked, "Was that what Seattle was like for you?"

That was a tricky question because I didn't know the extent of his brutality toward her. I didn't know how long he spent hurting her or anything else besides the obscure details that Carlisle had shared with me. I decided to be just as vague, saying, "Sometimes."

"How did you survive that for so long?" she asked, her voice cracking.

I couldn't answer her question because I honestly didn't know. I felt so useless, shrugging my shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she croaked. My forehead scrunched in confusion and I wanted to ask what she meant, but she beat me to it, saying, "Before… when I heard about what happened to you. I judged you. I was your friend, and I liked you, but it didn't stop me from judging you. I-I thought in some way you must have done something that caused it…"

I went to stand by her side, lost in what she was saying.

"Do you think God is punishing me for that?"

"No," I said in a strong voice. "What happened wasn't because of anything you did. It was _him_. You didn't do anything to deserve this; he's just a monster."

Her head snapped in my direction, and I knew. I knew Demetri didn't stop with a beating. Her chin started to tremble and she looked away. "I feel… dirty. It sounds so cliché. I-I still feel him on me… in me. How, how do I go back to my husband tainted like this? How could Ben look at me now?"

I took her hand in mine, mindful of the IV that was taped to the top as I thought out my answer. "If he loves you, he'll wait for you."

"You and Edward—"

"He loves me. He's gentle with me, and when I'm with him, I could _never_ confuse the two of them."

"What will people say? When people talked about you… how did you still walk around with your head held up high?"

"I know the truth. If people don't believe me, then they don't believe me. And in the end, it's not for them to pass judgment on me." She slowly turned her head to face me and I went on, saying, "Most of them could never understand what we've been through, and that's great. But for the people who belittle you and treat you like shit, why should you care about what they think of you? Screw them. In a cruel way, you're fortunate because you're going to see which one of your friends truly deserves your friendship."

Silence engulfed the room once again as she processed what I said. At some point she had claimed my hand in hers, like she was afraid of being left alone. I was about to ask her if she wanted me to find her husband, but her voice stopped me. "Bella, do you know who he was?"

I swallowed the bile that tried to come up and said, "Yeah, yeah I do."

~C~C~C~

It was four in the morning, the day of my GEDs and I couldn't sleep. I crept downstairs to the comfort of the kitchen, the one place where I felt like I had complete control. I set the oven and opened the refrigerator, searching for the dough I had made the day before. I was going to wait until after my test to use it, but I figured it would be nice to have some pains au chocolat for breakfast. After retrieving a block of chocolate from the pantry, I set to work, first throwing down some flour on the counter top, then rolling out small strips of dough to cut into rectangles.

I felt arms wrap around my waist and heard Edward's smooth voice in my ear. "What are you doing up, baby?"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I couldn't sleep."

"Nightmare?" he asked, his warm breath rushing across my neck.

"No, just anxious." I broke free from his arms and rounded the kitchen island to retrieve a knife from the knife block. He watched as I chopped small chunks of chocolate to use. Thinking I had been sneaky in crawling out of bed, I felt bad for waking him up too. I held out my hand, offering a bit of chocolate in apology. He stalked up to me, but instead of taking it from my hand, he nipped it from my palm. He soothed the slight scrape from his teeth by gently running his tongue across the surface, and I relished the spark when I felt our connection.

"What's the matter, Bella," he whispered as he wiped my hand with a dish towel.

"What's he waiting for? It's been days since we saw Angela in the hospital. Forks isn't that big."

Edward's brow furrowed in thought. I waited for him to tell me that everything would be alright, that there was no way Demetri would get close enough to hurt me, that even though the Cullens were now in danger, they didn't regret taking me in.

"I don't know what he's waiting for, Bella. What I do know is you shouldn't be worried about him. Emmett and Dean know what they're doing. All you should be doing is focusing on your GEDs. You can't let him get in the way of your future, Bella."

"He's right, you know, Belly Bear." I turned to see a very sleepy Emmett lumber into the kitchen. He shuffled over to the coffee maker to start it and said, "Don't worry about that coward. If he shows his face around here, Dean and I will handle him."

I nodded to him and finished making the pain au chocolat. As I was popping them into the oven, Esme came in to make breakfast. "What are you doing up, sweetie? Testing doesn't start until nine."

I was about to tell her I wasn't tired, but it was pretty freaking pointless when instead I let out a huge yawn. Edward chuckled and pulled me out of the kitchen, telling me I could still get a few more minutes of shut eye.

I didn't put up much of a fight until I remembered the pastry. Tugging him back to the kitchen, I said to a smiling Esme, "They should take about fifteen minutes. They're best when served warm."

She laughed, saying, "Thank you, dear. I'm afraid I would have let them burn."

I followed Edward back to my bedroom where Leah barely acknowledged us from her bed. Edward pulled me into bed, and I quickly succumbed to sleep.

~C~C~C~

"Bella, please don't be angry with me," Edward sighed, frustrated with the silent treatment I was giving him.

Dean chuckled from the front passenger seat, and I felt my scowl slipping from my face. "Edward, you let me over-sleep."

I would be the first to admit I was being an immature brat, but dammit, I wanted to be able to take at least two tests today. Instead I would only be taking the mathematics section.

"Bella, you needed your sleep. You can always take the reading portion next time, baby."

The entire exam was over seven hours long, and it would be crazy to do all of the testing in one day, so I had split the test up in four. Two days ago I did the writing portion. This morning I was hoping to tackle the reading and mathematics, but that plan was shot to hell. Jane my tutor thought it would be a good idea to take those two sections together since I loved to read but hated math.

I'd admit I was probably just upset because I was looking forward to the reading section. I know, I know, I was a nerd like that.

Once we pulled up to South Seattle Community College, I hoped out of the car and rushed into Edward's arms. He chuckled into my hair and said, "Does this mean you're talking to me now?"

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Thanks for letting me sleep in."

"Hey, if you lovebirds don't mind, I'd feel better once I get you inside," Dean said surveying our surroundings.

Ever since Angela's attack the Cullens had been on high alert—everybody stayed close to home. I had a sneaking suspicion they did it for me. If everybody was in one place, Dean's and Emmett's attention wasn't divided.

Dean had checked out the campus ahead of time, making sure he got the layout of the area. He and Emmett got into a slight disagreement before we left. Emmett had wanted to come with us, but Dean had said we needed a secure home to come back to. Insinuating that the entire family was at risk was the only way to get him to stay behind.

Checking in was quick enough, and after leaving my phone with Edward and getting a searing kiss for luck, I went into the classroom that was designated for the mathematic exam. There were about twenty other people taking the same exam as I.

I felt an uneasy churning in my stomach. I hated math. I _truly_ loathed the subject. All the formulas would get jumbled in my head, and whenever I went back to check my work, I always felt like I was going around in a circle.

As soon as the test proctor started the clock, I scrambled to write as many formulas as I could remember on the scratch piece of paper I was given. I only had forty-five minutes to complete the first section. I was nervous and, as a result, my lip was gnawed on and I lost control of the muscles in my leg because the damn thing wouldn't stop bouncing.

As I was re-reading a geometry question, for what felt like the tenth time, somebody loudly cleared their throat. I shook my head, annoyed that my concentration had been broken. Glancing up at the red digital clock, I realized I only had twenty-six minutes left. I tried to drown out the sound of pencils scratching on paper and went back to the problem. I managed to complete four more problems before the throat clearer made that obnoxious sound again. Seriously, had they never heard of a lozenge?

I went back to work after shooting another anxious look at the clock. I had twelve minutes left and I was almost finished. Unfortunately I couldn't concentrate because Throat Clearer wouldn't shut up.

The examiner walked to the back where Throat Clearer sat and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"She's distracting me with her leg bouncing," an angry looking man with a receding hair line hissed while pointing in my direction.

I sunk into my chair and muttered an apology, but it went unheard when a middle aged woman from the front said, "And you're not distracting with all the noise you're making?"

"Alright everybody, please go back to testing," the test proctor said.

Ten minutes later, she called for pencils to be set down. My head was pounding from concentrating so hard, and my body was sore from being held so tense. I filed out of the room with the rest of the group for our break before we had to return for the second half of the test. I caught a glimpse of Edward and Dean in the waiting area, but before I could wave to them, I felt a rough yank on my arm.

Demetri.

My blood ran cold at the knowledge that he had finally come for me, and remembering everything Emmett had taught me, I spun around and drove the palm of my hand up into my assailant's jaw.

My eyes bulged wide, and the fight left my body when I realized the person who had grabbed me wasn't Demetri but Throat Clearer. I slowly backed away from him but he followed, his face marred with a sneer as he said, "Because of you I probably failed that section. Do you have any fucking clue how long I've been preparing for this exam? And now because of you, you stupid little bi—"

Before he could finish his tirade, he was catapulted to the side and introduced to the brick wall behind him by a very menacing-looking Dean Wilder. In steely voice he said, "I suggest you not finish that sentence."

I looked up and noticed the person holding me was my Edward. His jaw was clenched and his mesmerizing green eyes held nothing but the promise of pain. His hands were the only part of his body that didn't betray his anger. They ran up and down my sides and gently stroked my neck close to the shoulder that Throat Clearer had grabbed.

"Gentlemen, we do not condone this kind of behavior!"

My head turned and I saw three testing officials approaching us. "Please separate this instant," the elderly woman said as she stepped closer.

Dean stepped away from Throat Clearer, reached into his back pocket, and handed a business card to one of the officials. Without taking his eyes off of Throat Clearer, he said, "I need to speak with whoever's in charge here."

~C~C~C~

"And they let you in that room?" Emmett asked with an astonished laugh.

"Yeah, I told them that I had been hired to protect Miss Swan, and seeing as how she was assaulted on their premises, I insisted I be allowed to do my job protecting her since their security was lacking," Dean answered with a smirk.

I smiled as I walked to the kitchen where Esme, Rose, and Alice had gathered. Dean was right. Just as the examiner was about to start the clock, he followed the old woman into the room. She and the test proctor quietly talked and with a nod, they sent Dean to stand in the back. I couldn't help but notice he stood a couple of feet away from a nervous looking Throat Clearer.

Esme greeted me with a hug and said, "Bella, I hope things went well." After giving her a smile and a nod, she said, "I don't think I've told you this, but I am so very proud of you. When you first came to us you were quiet and shy, and now… well now, you've become a very driven young lady."

I smiled and rolled my eyes while saying, "Esme, it's just an exam."

She clutched the side of my face, forcing my gaze, and said, "You're wrong, Bella. It's more than an exam. You're fighting for your future, and it is so rewarding to see you taking charge of your life."

"Hey, no hogging Bella to yourself," Alice whined.

Esme stepped away and was quickly replaced by Alice and Rose. After getting two more hugs, I told them that I planned on making dinner and asked them what they wanted.

"I'll take Honey Pecan Chicken, baby," Edward said as he pulled a barking Leah back into the house with Jasper's help.

Leah's barks weren't stopping and she paced from window to window focused on whatever was in the backyard. Dean slipped outside, and there was no missing the nod that Em gave Rose before she tugged me further into the kitchen, asking if she could watch me pick out ingredients. Inside the large walk-in pantry, I was telling her the difference between broth and stock when I was interrupted by a loud pop, followed by Esme's panicked scream, "Emmett!"

Before I could make it back to the kitchen, Rose wrapped a surprisingly strong arm around me and pulled me to the back of the pantry. Bringing her hand up to cover my mouth, she whispered in a shaky breath, "Shhh. Don't make it for nothing, Bella."

Emmett. He was hurt, and even though every fiber of being was telling her to go to her husband, Rose was still there, protecting me. I stopped my struggle, not wanting to be a bigger burden for her before I heard _his_ voice. "Not another move."

"Please, just let me make sure he's alright," Carlisle said in a thick voice. He must have come out of his office when he heard the noise.

"I shot him for a fucking reason. Now, you're going to slowly walk over there next to your wife. Nobody else has to get hurt—I just came for the whore."

"She's not a whore!"

"Alice," Jasper hissed.

Demetri's laughter caused a shudder to run down my spine, and I cried because I knew too well the pain he was capable of inflicting. "Of course, she's a whore. You think by dressing her up and giving her an education, it will change anything?"

Rose pressed her head next to mine, telling me not to listen to the bullshit he was spouting. I brought my hands up to cling to the arms that supported me, and we both trembled as tears ran down our cheeks.

He was going to kill our family.

* * *

**A/N: I totally left you hanging there, didn't I? Sorry about that little cliffy.**

**I know some of you are waiting for me to update Cullen Companion; I'm working on it and will be able to post on Tuesday :)**


	26. My Everything

**I apologize for the short chapter. It was hell writing it, and in the end I shaved off an easy 1,000 words to it. Crazy but I think it reads better. For some reason EPOV are always shorter than BPOV.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.**

**Warning: contains topics of rape, torture, abuse, and religion. If these things offend read another story.**

* * *

_I will battle for the sun  
And I won't stop until I'm done  
You are getting in the way  
And I have nothing left to say_

"_Battle for the Sun" by Placebo_

**EPOV**

Somebody was out there. The silence of the night was heavy, and the fucking hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end as I felt someone watching me. I struggled to see past the line where the light from the porch met the darkness of the forest. I gave Leah enough leash to do her business, but there was no way I would let her free with the threat so close to home. She seemed anxious, her ears on occasion would twitch and swivel, following sounds unheard by me.

A cloud of smoke drifted before me, bringing my attention to Jasper. "I thought you quit," I said, nodding to the cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"Yeah, Alice hates the fucking smell, but I'm feelin' a bit tense," he said while flicking ash from the butt. Esme would kill him if he tossed that butt in her yard.

I nodded my head because he wasn't the only one who felt the tension that had invaded our house. Bella was most affected by it. Most nights she couldn't sleep and when she could, it was restless. There weren't any night terrors to jolt me awake, only tiny whimpers that tickled me into awareness. All I could do was hum us to sleep, only to be awakened when the dreams returned.

I pulled on Leah's leash, but she wouldn't budge. Instead, she gave a low growl, but for once it wasn't directed at me. No, her focus was on the tree line that surrounded the property. Jasper and I trading knowing looks and he snubbed out his cigarette before following me into the house. He had to help me with Leah because she was fighting the leash and barking at whatever was concealed by the trees.

As we struggled with the fifty pound snow dog, I heard Bella talking about making dinner. Not wanting to bring attention to what was lurking outside, I suggested the first dish I could think of. Leah's behavior didn't go unnoticed, spurring Dean to quietly slip outside and Emmett to signal to Rose to take Bella away.

One of the first things Dean did when he got here was create a contingency plan to get Bella to safety. Unfortunately, to get Bella to the panic room in Carlisle's office, she would have to cross the living room. The pantry would have to do; a pantry with a large oak door recently fitted with a lock from the inside.

Once Rose tugged Bella out of the room, Emmett then nodded to Jasper. As Jasper turned to go upstairs, there was a loud pop that drowned out the sound of glass shattering from one of the many living room windows. Instinctively I ducked down and turned to look at each family member, frantic with what the sound meant. Esme answered my unvoiced question when she shrieked my brother's name.

My eyes darted to where Emmett stood near the piano, clutching his side. His eyes were wide in disbelief and my attention was drawn to the blood that was pouring between his fingers. He staggered back, losing his battle with gravity as he fell to the ground.

I fought against the urge to run to where I knew Rose was hiding Bella, but I could not risk her being found. Carlisle came rushing out of his office as I held onto Esme, putting my body between her and the windows. Esme's body trembled, torn between going to her fallen son and staying with me.

Before Carlisle could reach Emmett, the back door swung open, and the sick bastard who caused the chaos walked in, aiming his gun at Carlisle. "Not another move."

Demetri was tall, lanky, and nothing what I had expected. This was the bastard responsible for the misery that Bella experienced in Seattle. Most of her suffering and torment was caused by this scrawny motherfucker who somehow felled one of the strongest men I had ever known.

"Please, just let me make sure he's alright," Carlisle pleaded, as he looked at Emmett.

Jasper quickly darted to Alice, ignoring Demetri's words. Jasper would have taken her away but Demetri turned his gun on him while he said to Carlisle, "I shot him for a fucking reason. Now, you're going to slowly walk over there next to your wife. Nobody else has to get hurt—I just came for the whore."

"She's not a whore!" Alice shouted while Carlisle slowly rounded Emmett's sprawled figure to join me and Esme. His eyes never left Emmett. I could tell Carlisle wasn't looking at him like a father would. No, he was assessing Em's injuries as best he could, monitoring breathing and blood loss and waiting for the second he could go to Emmett.

"Alice," Jasper hissed.

I wasn't the only one who didn't like that Alice drew Demetri's attention. Jasper slowly dragged her behind his body, taking her out of Demetri's line of fire.

Leah whined from under the piano. Her head was low and her tail was tucked between her legs. Demetri looked over his right shoulder, snorted in mockery, and didn't spare her a second glance as he turned back to us.

He laughed. "Of course she's a whore. You think by dressing her up and giving her an education, it will change anything?"

My fists clenched and I prayed that Bella wasn't hearing what this pathetic piece of shit was saying. Bella was never a whore, nor was she a victim. She took the deplorable situation that she was thrust into and survived it. She escaped him and Seattle, and I'd be damned if I was going to hand her back. "You can't have her."

"Oh? Tell me, pretty boy, who's going to stop me?" he sneered.

"We won't let you walk out of here with Bella," Esme said in a cool voice. "You'd have to kill me before I'd let you take her."

"Is that so? Perhaps I haven't shot enough of your children to convince you that I'm not fucking around," Demetri said as he aimed the gun at my chest and pulled the trigger.

He shouldn't have underestimated Leah.

I may have not been Leah's favorite person, but I was still Bella's. And that meant something to Leah. As soon as Demetri shifted his aim to me, her police training kicked in and she lunged at him, tearing into the flesh on his arm and shaking his scrawny body like a rag doll. Thanks to Leah, the bullet only clipped my shoulder.

I barely registered the pain as I watched her muzzle stain with blood, the fabric of his jacket offered little protection from her sharp teeth.

"Get the women out, Jasper," Carlisle said as he quickly assessed my arm. I could tell he wanted to go to Emmett, but Leah was too close and she was in a frenzy, mauling Demetri.

I smiled when I heard his screams, and in a sick way I hoped Bella heard them and knew that it was Demetri in pain. Fucker deserved it and more.

I noticed the revolver had been knocked from Demetri's hand, and he was making a move to get it. However, he lost his footing and Leah viciously bit and yanked any body part she could reach. Just when it looked like he was about to get his hands on his weapon, gunfire sounded in the living room.

Emmett shot Demetri in the back of the head while Dean emptied his clip into Demetri's torso from the back door, blood dripping from his head as he said, "That's how you do it, asshole."

As soon as the shots sounded, Leah yelped and darted to my side. I held her shaking body and told her what a good job she did. The former police officer calmed slightly, but with Demetri's body still in sight she was understandably still on alert.

"You got him?" Dean asked Em, holding the side of his head.

"Fucker isn't going anywhere, unless he's impervious to bullets," Emmett said, but I noticed he didn't take his gaze off of Demetri's dead body. "Rosie, it's over, but just stay put until somebody comes for you!"

Carlisle ran to the kitchen for some towels. He tossed one each to me and Dean and said, "Edward, I need you to go to my study and get my bag. Dean, I trust you called the authorities."

"Yes, sir. ETA is five minutes," I heard Dean say as I rushed to find Carlisle's medical bag.

I returned to find Carlisle had ripped Emmett's shirt open and was pressing a towel to Emmett's side. "The bullet is still inside," Carlisle said, before finding a vial of liquid and a syringe in his medical bag. "I need you to press hard on that towel, Edward." He turned to the Marine and said, "Dean, how badly have you been injured?"

"Bullet only grazed my temple. Should be fine," he responded. "Worry about Cujo."

"Em, how're you feeling?"

Emmett turned to me, stunned and said, "I can't believe that asshole shot me."

~C~C~C~

"It's nice to see she hasn't lost her touch."

I looked over Bella's head and noticed a police officer walking in our direction from the house. I had Bella in my arms as I stood in the drive way, Leah by our side. The EMS had just left with Emmett, Dean, and my father; Esme and Rose had left, following them; and we were waiting for the police to finish questioning Alice and Jasper before we would join them.

"Hello, Officer Noma. I wish I could say it's nice to see you again… but… well," Bella mumbled while waving a hand at the flurry of activity.

He nodded his head and said, "Please call me Benjamin." He crouched next to Leah and gave her a scratch behind her ears. I was glad we wiped the blood from her muzzle.

"Are you going to take her away?" Bella asked softly. Benjamin tilted his head to the side and asked why he would. "Because she attacked a person."

"Did she do so unprovoked?"

"No, sir. It wasn't until Demetri pointed the gun at me that she went after him," I answered. Bella gasped, her eyes going to my bandaged arm. I kissed her forehead and murmured, "Everything's okay, now."

"Then she did what she was trained to do, what _we_ trained her to do—she got the bad guy. Your statements were taken, correct?" We both nodded our heads. "Good. If you need anything, give me a call."

As he handed Bella a card with his contact info, she said, "Actually we have to go to the hospital, but I can't leave Leah here. Do you think… maybe…"

Understanding flickered across his face and he said with a smile, "My kids would love to see her again. I think there's a steak at home with her name on it."

"A steak?"

Leah's ears perked up, like she actually knew what that word meant.

"She's earned it. Don't you think?"

Bella looked at me with a sad smile and said, "Yes. Yes, she has."

~C~C~C~

Three weeks had passed since the break-in. Dean left a couple of days after everything happened, said he did what he came to do. I was never really sure where he stayed, be it at a motel or with us. He was always just there.

If he _was_ staying with us, it was probably a good thing he left. Even though the police said it was fine to stay at the house, Carlisle and Esme decided they wanted to move. They felt we all needed a fresh start.

So, the whole family moved into the house I was living in until another could be found. Esme didn't want to leave Forks entirely because she still had the women's center and it was the same for Carlisle and the hospital.

Despite the limited space, we went through our days, getting our lives back to how they used to be. The nights, however, were a different story.

Bella's tiny, troubled whimpers turned to screams and thrashing until she startled awake.

A coffee mug was set next to me, and I looked up at the person joining me at the counter.

"You look tired, little brother."

"Hey, Em. How're you feeling?"

"Good. Stitches come out today."

I nodded my head.

The bullet that Emmett took in his side was actually lodged in his oblique when the doctor pulled it out. The first time he saw Bella after being shot, she started crying. He told her not to worry because he had abs of steel.

He was lucky. If he wasn't so fit or if Demetri was at a closer range, the bullet could have ripped through his intestines.

"Last night sounded like a bad one," he commented before taking a sip of his coffee.

Sighing, I said, "She tries to stay awake, but after a couple of days she has no choice."

"The shrink isn't helping? I thought she was working with Bella. Can't she give Bella something to help her sleep?"

"She did. Bella still has the nightmares, only it takes longer to wake her up."

"Shit," he said. His brow furrowed and he asked, "Does she tell you what they're about?"

I shook my head. "No, but she talks in her sleep. I think they're about Demetri. Sometimes he makes her watch as he kills everybody. Sometimes he makes us watch as he rapes her before he takes her away." My jaw clenched and my eyes blurred. I didn't tell him there were worse ones than those.

"Christ," he muttered.

He gave me a moment to gather myself by looking at the digital clock on the stove. It was five in the morning, and I wondered if anybody else was awakened by Bella's sleep. Bella herself was taking a bath with Leah standing guard. That dog rarely left her side.

"How badly do you want to help her, Edward?"

I thought about my angel and how wrong I was, believing Demetri's death would bring her any kind of peace. She tried, she really fucking tried. She went to therapy with Carmen, finished taking her GEDs, and still worked everyday with Laurent, but she was slowly withering away. I felt utterly useless as I watched the spark in her slowly die.

"What did you have in mind, Em?"

He took a deep breath and said, "Maybe she's waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe if she heard from the boys that there was no way anybody else would come for her—"

"No," I said, cutting him off. "I don't want to know what they did, and I don't want her involved. For fuck's sake, Emmett. If they did what I think they did, and told Bella, that would make her an accessory."

Emmett stood to leave but not before saying, "She deserves to not be afraid, Edward. She can't live a life where she's constantly looking over her shoulder."

Emmett left me to my thoughts. Not surprisingly they were focused on my angel. Her appearance had changed over the last three weeks. The healthy weight Bella had put on since coming to Forks was slowly melting away, and the beauty of her eyes was detracted by the dark circles under them.

Her lack of sleep was effecting more than her appearance. I was starting to feel a strain on our relationship. Not that I had any intentions of abandoning her—it was the nightmare.

The nightmare where she woke up screaming, "No, Edward won't want me!"

I couldn't stop the tears from falling that first night as I tried to rock her back to sleep. I would _never_ not want Bella. I hated that there was a tiny little part of her that believed otherwise.

She was my everything.

I left the kitchen and made my way to my office. It had been converted to a bedroom, and when Emmett answered my knock, I said, "Make the call."

* * *

**A/N: No more than three chapters left, so I want to thank you for hanging on. You guys are amazing!**


	27. Loose Ends and Take Out

This chapter is a short one, mainly because it didn't need to be dragged out. However, you won't be disappointed.

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

_And is it worth the wait  
All this killing time?  
Are you strong enough to stand  
Protecting both your heart and mine?_

_Who is the betrayer?_  
_Who's the killer in the crowd?_  
_The one who creeps in corridors_  
_And doesn't make a sound_

"_Heavy in Your Arms" by Florence + The Machine_

* * *

**Jacob POV**

Louisiana.

It was muggy and my clothes were sticking to my skin, and I was tired of this whole fucking thing. Trailing after Heidi proved difficult without the help of my boys, so I relied on them regardless of the distance. The bitch could feel me following her and hopped five other states before settling down in Louisiana. And for what? Things were going to end the same no matter what damn state she chose.

Nothing I could have planned would have been better than how it was happening. I couldn't torture her because I lacked Paul's ability to compartmentalize. It was difficult enough to stand back and watch Paul do his thing let alone take on that task. But following Heidi worked in my favor.

She was scared.

She knew something had happened to her crew. They went missing one by one, all strong somewhat capable men. So she did what any smart person on the wrong side of the law would do—she ran.

She was more than scared; she was paranoid. She only spotted me a couple of times; however, each sighting happened in a separate state. It was not like she could go to the police because as it turned out, little Heidi had a couple of warrants out for her arrest.

So I was reduced to this, stalking her. I even snuck into one of the pay-by-the-hour motels where she was staying and left her a little message—an autopsy picture of her precious Demetri. True I had nothing to do with that hit, but she didn't know that. Out of the pics that were taken, I chose the nastiest most obscene one. It was a picture of Demetri's bust; complete with the exit wound in his head caused by a bullet and his chest cracked fully open, held in place by clamps.

I listened as she cried for hours.

All in all, she must have felt violated, like her security was ripped away from her, but I knew it was nothing compared to the things Bella suffered. I could have taken her out that night, but I decided Heidi hadn't paid nearly enough. So, I continued to fuck with her head.

Heidi even tried to hire some thugs to protect her. Once I let them know I took out her last crew, they left her high and dry. She was all alone and right where I wanted her. She was losing sleep and barely ate. When she was out in public she was jumpy; loud sounds startled her easily, like she believed I would do the hit in a public venue. For weeks, I taunted and chased her.

Tonight was the night I would put an end to everything. I hated looking at her face everyday, knowing the injustices that were inflicted on Bella because of her. She didn't deserve to walk freely after the shit that went down in Seattle. She may have not violated Bella herself, but she was still responsible for the pain and humiliation that Bella suffered. Hell, the bitch profited from it.

I tapped the razor on the side of the sink, shaking away any excess water and brought the blade back up to my scalp. Dragging the blade across the skin, I shuddered as I felt the scrape and pull of the blade as it razed the butchered hair that was in its path. Row by row, I shaved it all away.

Satisfied with the job, I ran my hand over the smooth surface before grabbing a towel to dry the freshly shaved skin. I picked up the can of shaving foam and started the whole process again, this time focusing on my beard. After all the time I spent on this job, it would really blow if they busted me because the medical examiner picked up a stray hair follicle on the corpse I planned on leaving him.

The water swirled in the drain, taking with it the shaved hair and shaving foam. I cupped my hand under the stream, gathering water to splash the little bits of hair that stuck on the side of the sink. A little beep sounded from the computer that Sam lent me, and I walked over to see where the target was moving.

_So predictable_.

The tiny GPS tracker I slipped inside Heidi's purse alerted me to her movements. Every night she would hit a fast food joint that was no more than a block away from whatever motel she was staying. Heidi stuck with three restaurants: McDonald's, KFC, and Subway. Tonight looked like an Original Recipe kind of night.

While Heidi ate her last meal, I started gathering the things I would need, taking my time. I loathed carelessness almost as much as I loathed the woman I was about to take-out. Let her enjoy her crappy chicken; I had time.

So why was I doing this?

It wasn't just because I felt like I owed it to Bella, or because she deserved retribution. Although both of those were reason enough for me, what drove me was knowing Heidi was capable of doing it again. All of the places I had followed her to, all of those seedy, underground hovels and bars were filled with people that had considered her offers of a great business opportunity.

That was something I could not allow.

~C~C~C~

It was past eleven at night, and I was sitting in the rental car that was taken out under an alias. After making sure no one was in the parking lot, I climbed out and headed for her room. One thing I had discovered about Heidi was she always kept a schedule. Why she did when she knew somebody was stalking her was beyond me. Paul figured it was a compulsive behavior that she had, along with her constant need to shower. When I used the ears that Sam gave me to listen in on her, I first thought she was doing it to drown out the sound of telephone conversations. Sam quickly put a stop to those worries by first hacking into her new cell phone account and then tapped the lines in the motel.

No, Heidi just needed to be that clean. Personally I didn't get why she showered before bed because those motel beds were fucking nasty. But then again, Heidi also showered in the morning.

I quickly picked the lock and used an envelope to slide between the door and bar lock on the jam. Hearing the soft thump of the bar as it hit the wall, I carefully opened the door and let myself in. The only light on was coming from the bathroom, and sure enough, I heard the inconsistent sound of water hitting the tub, signaling that Heidi was taking her shower.

The extra precaution I took in donning gloves wasn't necessary. No police investigation would take prints in a place that rented by the hour, but I still wore them. Mainly, I didn't want any part of her to touch my skin. I didn't want her filth on me.

She had the bathroom door opened a crack, and I held my ear close to it, without touching, to make sure she wasn't aware of my presence. When I was satisfied that my entrance had gone unnoticed, I swiftly entered the bathroom and ripped the shower curtain out of the way. She gasped in surprise, but before she could get a scream out, I pressed her back against the wall, using my forearm against her throat.

"Hello, Heidi," I whispered.

Her hazel eyes bulged and she sputtered at the water that was still hitting her face and the lack of oxygen she was getting. Some would consider her beautiful; that was how she conned people into doing her bidding.

I wasn't one of them.

The water that was streaming through her long locks caused them to plaster to her skin and run down my arms and shoulders. I briefly contemplated turning it off but decided it might wash away any evidence of my involvement. The boots I had purchased for this hit insured that I wouldn't be slipping on the wet tiles beneath me. It was a smart buy because when Heidi realized who the hell I was, she started thrashing wildly.

To avoid getting hit or scratched, I quickly spun her around and pressed her front into the shower wall and climbed in with her. The pressure on her ribs took some of the fight out of her. Leaning in carefully, I whispered, "You had to have known this was coming, Heidi. Perhaps I should have a little fun with you. Perhaps I should treat you like the whores you pimped out."

I didn't mean it; I just wanted to scare her. There was no way I was touching her. I didn't want to be soiled anymore than I had to be by this disgusting creature. To my horror she did the unthinkable—she arched her back, pushing her ass out.

Disgusted that she actually believed I wanted her, I acted rashly. I was pissed that she wanted something that foul done to her, that she wanted to be used and violated just like Bella had been. "I could never find pleasure in something as disgusting as you," I hissed in her ear before wrenching her head to the left. Hearing the ligaments in her neck snap didn't guarantee death so I made sure to smash her skull on the shower wall to the right of us, hard enough to fracture her skull. I then pulled her body back and allowed it to fall forward and to the right so it could be found in a natural position. Finally I reached into my pocket, took out a small mirror, and placed it before her mouth and nose.

Nothing.

Heidi would never hurt Bella again.

I left the motel, left the city, and finally left Louisiana. The whole time I carried a picture of a smiling Bella, hoping one day she could get to that happy place again because there was nothing left I could do.

There was nothing left of me to give.

* * *

**A/N: I know some of you aren't happy about how Heidi was handled. Perhaps you think she deserved worse? What are your thoughts?**


	28. Preventing the Apocalypse

Thanks to kayai1995! Her review reminded me that I wasn't finished posting this story…lol. I've been a little busy, but I'm back from vacation. As soon as I finish posting this story, I'll work on getting Apple Dumpling posted.

For some reason when I posted this on TWCS, the chapter notes got cut off. You guys are in luck! Have I mentioned how much I love Polyvore?

http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/sweet_beginnings/set?id=33161898

* * *

"_I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass."_

—_Maya Angelou_

**Paul POV**

There was an unknown car in my driveway when I pulled up. It wasn't Scott's and it sure as hell wasn't mine. Taking a deep breath, I collected myself before reaching in the glove compartment for my Glock 17 and stepping out of my car. Carefully shutting the car door, I approached my house with my piece by my side with the safety on.

I wouldn't call the three story on Willow Top "home," with its grey side paneling and white trim. No, it was more a place to get away. It was a place to rest my head between gigs with Jake and Sam, but it wasn't home.

The house itself had an open floor-plan, and as I walked the dark rooms of the house I legally owned, I was annoyed at what I was about to find. It was three weeks after the McGain hits and I although I had gone to the rez where Sam and his wife lived, I had yet to relax. Not that I didn't spend three weeks having fun with Sam's people, but they weren't mine. The reservation where I spent most of my youth was my dad's in Oregon.

In those three weeks, Sam and I had set-up base in Sam's den, despite Alpha's protests. He had told us he could track Heidi by himself, which of course was bullshit. He needed Sam's skills with technology and my contacts. We kept in touch via secured phone lines and worked the job of hunting down Heidi that way. She was a crafty woman, changing her appearance, name, cell, hell everything. We finally traced her to Louisiana.

I got why Jake wanted to do things by himself. We usually take breaks between hits and the six hits in Seattle took its toll. On me, more so than the others. It was one thing to take somebody out but an entirely different thing to draw out the death. Every time I did it, I felt a small piece of my soul chip away. The line was becoming blurry against who I was and who the people I was torturing were. The only difference in the kind of monsters we were was I didn't prey on the innocent. That was the only excuse that helped me sleep at night.

I walked down the darkened hallway toward the bedroom. There was a light coming from under the door and voices on the other side. Taking a deep breath, I used the barrel of the gun to slowly push the door open.

Two hours later, I was on a bed in a room at the Downtown Portland Marriott. With my shoes kicked off and Nightly News playing on the television, I looked over at the nightstand to my cell. I put the damn thing on silent just to hear myself think. It hadn't gone off in a while, so I thought it would be safe to finally listen to my messages.

The first nine were from Scott, begging me to understand and not throw away our relationship. I understood perfectly. Whenever I was away, he had somebody come over to my house to keep him entertained. It rankled, I won't lie. I had always been faithful to him, but I couldn't give him the attention he needed. Truth be told, I suspected the affairs were taking place but never did anything to uncover them.

The next one was from my realtor, telling me he could make the sale happen for a cool four hundred thousand.

The following four were from Scott again, only the pleading was accompanied by swearing and name calling. Being in the Marines, I had heard worse. No doubt the realtor had called the house line before trying my cell.

The last message I wasn't expecting at all. "Hey Paul, it's Emmett. I can't reach Jake and Sam gave me your number. Look, I know we barely know each other, but do you think you can make it back to Forks? Things have calmed down, but Bella . . . Bella's not . . . right. I'm not asking to share any details, and maybe it's stupid, but if you tell her she doesn't have anything to be afraid of, I think she'll believe you. I think she could finally feel safe."

I snorted at the thought that an assassin could provide comfort. Had I not done enough already? No, I hadn't because Bella never once asked me to do the things I did, and I was still indebted to her. After raking my fingers through my hair, I stood from the bed and turned off the news. I called Emmett back, and when he answered, I said, "I'm in Portland right now. But I'll leave in the morning."

I didn't talk with him any longer than that.

I wanted sleep.

~C~C~C~

I hit I-5 at nine in the morning. I spent the drive thinking about what it was about Isabella Swan that had me doing things that I would never have done before. I had never before taken pleasure in a slow kill. Not until Felix.

I had already approached the edge where I felt my soul would forever be tainted by the things I was doing. There was a fine line between the art of torture and the acts of a sadistic vigilante, and with Felix that line was nearly non-existent.

It was the McGains.

That sick, twisted couple was where I crossed that line. Even when I was burning the flesh from Felix's body, I still had control. But with the McGains, I took pleasure in their pain, knowing it was only a fraction of what they had inflicted on Bella. Her humiliation and debasement was far worse than anything I could have done and a small part of me was envious that I couldn't achieve that level of power over them. That was when I knew I had crossed that fucking line.

Jake didn't know that I had kept a DVD that we had taken from the McGain hit. He thought he had destroyed them all. Sam knew and let me be to find a reason why I risked it all. Why I crossed the line of sadism. As I watched what they did to her, I remembered the reason I agreed to go to Seattle in the first place.

She had made a chicken dish the night we were in Forks. Onions, tomatoes, and basil joined balsamic vinegar in the pan of chicken. It had been so long since I had a homemade meal, one cooked for me. I had snuck a piece of chicken and almost moaned as the flavors hit my tongue. The subtle bite of vinegar and the sweetness of the onions married beautifully with the succulent chicken, and as I was reaching for a second bite, the most surprising thing happened.

Bella slapped my hand away.

That slip of a girl had actually struck me. At first the action provoked my temper, but my anger was quickly replaced with a hopefulness that had been missing for years. Bella had seen the incensed expression on my face, but instead of being afraid of retaliation, she laughed. Bella had known what we did for a living, but it was as if it didn't matter to her. She wasn't afraid of me and had acted like she would had we been friends.

Even before my training, I was good at reading people and their body language. When Jake, Sam, and I had first met Bella, her body was tense, like she could sense the danger we posed. She kept shifting her weight on her feet, and although her head was up, her shoulders back, and she met our gazes, her tiny fist kept clenching. All of that changed when she heard why the Cullens never let their guard down. She had faith in Emmett's trust in us even if his own family didn't.

She earned my respect that night, especially after hearing what she went through in Seattle. After years of abuse they couldn't break her. She, out of everybody, had reason to fear us. She had seen the worst in humanity, but instead of fearing men who got paid to inflict pain on people she accepted us. My own family had a difficult time accepting me either because of my sexual orientation or because of whatever theories they had on how I made a living.

That little slap on the hand was all it took for my loyalty to the tiny girl with brown hair to take root. That night, her enemies became mine. She couldn't fight against them and win, but I could. I could eliminate anyone who threatened the happiness that Isabella Swan was trying to claim. She deserved her new life, and that night I set out with the others to see that she got it. It was the only way I knew to repay her kindness— her acceptance.

The rubber scrape of the windshield wipers as they met dry surface pulled me out of my thoughts of Bella. I was about to reach Forks so I decided to give Emmett a call.

"Hey, man, did you make it in?"

"I'm on the outskirts of town," I answered. "I haven't reached the air strip yet."

"Hey, do you know where the diner is?"

"Is it off of 101?"

"Yeah, it's on 101 and B Street. I'll meet you there."

The rain was starting to pick up the further I went into town but not enough that I couldn't see the street signs. One thing I liked about Forks citizens was the way they moved through the rain. Most didn't even own an umbrella, like they knew trying to stay dry in this town was pointless.

The Greasy Forks was settled in its own parking lot, not in a strip like some of the other businesses in the town. There was a fair amount of cars in the lot despite the fact the lunch hour was up, which said something for the food.

Emmett was leaning against a black Escalade and headed for my car as soon as I pulled in the lot. The first thing he said before we headed into the diner was, "Do yourself a favor, man, and save some room for dessert."

Guessing by the I-don't-give-a-shit attitude by the wait staff I could tell the food that was dished out was what had customers coming back, which I didn't mind because I was starved. The waitress jerked her head to the side while strolling to another table and said, "Take a seat anywhere."

We picked one of the booths and I grabbed a menu that was tucked between all of the condiments. Emmett obviously knew what he wanted because he simply sat back and was bobbing his head to the soundtrack of his mind. I swear I heard him sing an ABBA lyric under his breath. His shoulders slumped and he muttered, "Fuck. It's the Anti-Flo."

I jerked my chin up but he shook his head.

"Do you know what you want?" asked a young disgruntled waitress. Because it sucked being that young and having next to no real responsibilities.

We both placed our orders and as soon as the girl left, I asked, "Where is she?"

"Bella? Therapy." The waitress set our drinks down and Emmett said, "Thanks, Anti."

"Why the hell do you always call me that?" she asked with jerky little head movements that snapped the end of her ponytail.

"It could have something do with you not wearing a name tag. People are going to come up with their own names for you," he said with a shrug.

"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. Did she offer her name? Of course not.

"Or it could be that you're the Antichrist," Emmett muttered after she left. "Or that you make me want to drink anti-freeze after dealing with your sparkling-as-fuck personality. Or that I feel I need an antiserum to prevent contracting whatever the hell's plaguing you."

"So it's not helping?" I asked, chuckling.

"Hmm? The antiserum?"

"The therapy." Emmett shook his head, frowning. "Emmett, exactly what happened?" I knew the end results and read the police reports, but I wanted to hear the story first-hand.

I sat back and listened how Demetri first stalked the Cullens then broke into their place. Anti-Flo was setting down our plates of food while Emmett was talking about Bella's dog ripping into the stupid shit. She broke me out of the story Emmett was telling by saying, "If you need anything else."

What the fuck did that _even_ _mean_? Because it clearly was not an invitation to call her over if there was something wrong.

Emmett shook his head before going back to his story. Neither of us touched our food while he told me about how he and Candyman finally took out Demetri. Candyman actually served with Emmett and then later with me; whereas Emmett left the Corps a year before I got there.

"And Dean's okay?"

Emmett popped a fry in his mouth and said, "Yeah, bullet just grazed the side of his head."

"And you?"

He lifted the side of his shirt and proudly showed me the scar that was left on his side. That's how jarheads were. What didn't kill us made us stronger. He didn't like who gave it to him, but in the end Emmett returned the favor.

He sighed, the dimpled smile on his face slipping away as he lowered his shirt and whispered, "I thought that by knowing he's dead, Bella would get past this roadblock. But how can she? It's like the fucker is haunting her in her sleep."

"Nightmares?" I asked before taking a bite from my burger.

"They're seriously disturbing too," he said, leaning forward. "Dreams of him coming to take her back to Seattle. Nightmares of him killing everybody or him raping her in front of us."

I could feel my brow furrow as I turned to look out the window. Most people knew that dreams and nightmares were a way of the mind working through issues and conflicts that the conscious mind couldn't handle. But not everybody knew what it was like to constantly be plagued by them, loosing precious hours of sleep. It had been a little more than three weeks since we sent the warning to Forks about Demetri's arrival— three weeks of terribly realistic nightmares. The rain was coming down as I thought about how helpless Emmett must have felt. He thought that by killing the bad guy, Bella could pick-up where she left off. It didn't always work that way.

We talked about lighter topics through the rest of lunch. He asked about Sam's family; we had a good laugh, speculating how his daughter's teenage years were going to be for him. We both felt sorry for the boys who would try to date her.

"So, you ever think about settling down, Paul?"

"I don't think it's in the cards for me," I said while scratching the back of my neck.

"I thought civil unions were sanctioned in Oregon," he said casually before taking a gulp of his soda.

I chuckled because of course Emmett would know one of my most guarded secrets. The man wasn't given a squad of elite Marines to command because he was a dumb shit. No, Emmett had a very keen eye and a sharp mind. Sometimes people couldn't see past his loud mouth and silly dimples. They were fools for thinking him simple by any means.

"Things didn't work out," I said carefully. This was the first time I had ever discussed my private life with someone from the Corps. Sure Jake and Sam probably knew, but it was never something that was brought up. "I didn't spend enough attention on our relationship, so whenever I went out of town, I was replaced with somebody else."

"Man, I'm sorry to hear that," he said, and he actually did look genuine. "Hey, Bella's cooking teacher is . . . you know," he said, waving his hand in my direction. Funny how even the strongest men had trouble saying a three letter word. Or perhaps he didn't want anybody to overhear. "Maybe you two could hook-up."

At that, I laughed outright. Of course because I was gay and this chef was gay that meant we'd be the ideal couple. I couldn't deny that Emmett was a good guy with the best of intentions, no matter how skewed his thinking was.

I changed the subject entirely as the waitress delivered the check. "Where can I find Bella?"

"You can follow me. She should be at Laurent's already. But seriously," he said, stopping at the diner door as we were leaving, "Laurent is a sexy man."

Grinning, I shoved him out the door and said, "Emmett, shut the fuck up."

~C~C~C~

The outside structure of the house itself was generic in design, and at first I couldn't figure why anybody would buy the place. That was until I stepped into the kitchen. The white cabinetry made the already spacious kitchen appear even larger, and the marble counter top offered plenty of space for the two chefs that were currently mixing ingredients into a large ceramic bowl.

Taking a look at Bella while she was unaware of my presence, I noticed she had dropped a few pounds which was saying something since she weighed next to nothing when I first met her. Along with her weight loss, she was sporting bags under her eyes, proof that she wasn't getting enough sleep. This wasn't the happy, smiling girl we left behind. We set out to preserve her happiness, but what we did wasn't good enough.

"P-P-Paul? What are you doing here?" she said, eyes wide and shoulders tense.

I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile and said, "I was in the area and decided to stop by. I have good news, by the way."

It seemed to work because not only Bella, but her sexy as hell teacher relaxed a bit. I walked up to the counter and offered my hand to the handsome, older man and told him my name, all the while mentally cursing Emmett for turning me into one of those stereotypical homosexual men who are instantly attracted to the next gay man they see after a break-up.

"I am Laurent Da Revin," he said in what had to have been the sexiest French accent I had ever heard, while using his thumb to stroke my knuckles. "_You_may call me Laurent."

Bella interrupted our blatant flirting, saying, "You said you had good news?"

Chuckling at her curiosity I pulled out my phone to show her pictures of Sam and Emily's little girl. Of course I wasn't going to bust out with, _"Yeah, great news. I helped torture and kill all the people who hurt you. There's nothing to be afraid of now!"_

She oohed and awed over the adorableness that was Samantha Uley. A smile had returned to her face and I took note that Laurent smiled too— not at the pictures but at seeing Bella smile. I had a feeling it was something that had been missing in the last few weeks.

"Laurent, why don't we leave these two to catch up?" Emmett said, tugging the sexy French man away.

"Emmett," he growled, "do not pull me out of my own kitchen. I do not care whose son you are, I will kick your tight little ass." Both Bella and I stifled our laughs at the expression on Emmett's face, but he somehow managed to pull Laurent out of the kitchen.

"They called for you, didn't they?" she asked, quietly.

I nodded; there was no point in lying. Besides, Bella earned the right to hear the truth. Not the gritty details or anything that could be incriminating but she deserved my respect. That included being as honest as I could be.

She sighed and turned to face me, her back against the counter. She used the towel that was hanging from her apron strings to wipe her hands and said, "How do you do it? How do you sleep at night?"

I smiled softly because her question was not coming from a place of condescension; she actually wanted to know my secret. "It's different between you and me. For one thing, I don't know them enough to have their faces in my head. Secondly, I'm not afraid they'll come back."

Her shoulders slumped as she said, "So they told you that, huh? That I'm afraid?" I nodded again before she went on. "I can't stop the nightmares— nothing helps. Not the therapy, not the people around me who care about me and tell me that things will be okay, not even seeing the body bag myself. I _know_ he's dead; I heard _everything_. But when I close my eyes at night, he's there."

I saw the tears in her eyes and my heart broke for the girl. She needed to see it.

When I woke up in the morning, one of the first things I did was call Sam. I got him to hack into the Forks PD system and get me the autopsy pic of Demetri. The headshot was gruesome because Emmett's bullet traveled straight through making identification difficult. It was going to be a last resort, but seeing Bella I should have realized calling me was Emmett's last resort.

I reached into my back pocket and retrieved the picture. Handing it to her, still folded, I said, "Bella, he's never coming back. Dean shot him multiple times in the chest while Emmett put a bullet in his head. If you really need to see it for yourself, then there it is. He can't hurt you anymore, and he's can't come to take you away. None of them can."

"You don't know that," she whispered, toying with the corners of the folded paper. She looked up when I didn't answer, but when she saw my pointed look she said, "Oh."

She gave me a small smile, took a deep breath, and opened the piece of paper. The silence was killing me. She nibbled on her bottom lip and studied the picture while tears ran down her face. Was I wrong to give her the picture? Would she have new nightmares to worry about? She was a civilian, unaccustomed to seeing dead bodies. What if this only made things worse?

Just as I was about to apologize for my miscalculation and snatch the pic away from her she surprised me yet again by throwing her arms around me and, of all things, laughed. Of course I was unprepared for it and she ended up tackling me to the ground, her face buried in my chest as she openly sobbed.

At hearing the loud thump that was my back hitting the wooden floor, Emmett and Laurent rushed into the kitchen. Seeing the girl sobbing and on the floor must have looked bad because gone was the flirtatious French man. Laurent turned his angry stare to me but it dropped completely from his face. It must have been because of the startled expression on my face and the nonsensical dribble that was pouring from my mouth. Honestly, she was crying one moment, gave a weird as fuck laugh, and then hurled her body at mine before falling apart completely.

Emmett, that bastard, laughed and said, "I think everything's going to be okay," before pulling Laurent out of the kitchen again. Did he help me with Bella? Fuck no. She was still sobbing and occasionally hiccupping all over me. To be quite frank it was weirding me out.

"Sorry," Bella sniffled as she sat up. She leaned her back against the cabinet and brought her knees up while using the towel from earlier to wipe her face. "I didn't mean to throw myself at you like that. I'm just . . . It's just that this has to be one of the best things that anybody has ever given me," she said, holding up the picture.

"An autopsy picture?"

She laughed softly and shook her head, "No, well yeah. It's more than a picture. You've shown me that I don't have to be afraid of them anymore."

"Unless they come back as zombies," I mused.

She gave me a shove and it was a good thing that I was already sitting on the ground because I don't think she realized her strength. "Shut up! Now I'm going to be worried about freaking zombies," she laughed.

"Bella, zombies don't exist."

"Says the unsuspecting fool right before a zombie apocalypse!"

Honestly, I wasn't sure if Demetri could come back as a zombie because he was already shot in the head. Not that I would share that with Bella. We sat on the floor laughing about the best strategy in case a zombie apocalypse ever did happen. It shouldn't have surprised me that she had given it some thought. Bella was, after all, a very smart girl. Our conversation didn't stay lighthearted nearly long enough.

"Is it wrong that I'm happy about this?" she whispered.

"No, why wouldn't you be happy about it?"

She sighed before saying, "It doesn't feel like the Christian thing to do— to be so happy that they're dead."

"Those people were the dredges of society. They had no moral character and didn't feel the least bit remorseful for what they had done. I won't pretend that I understand your Christian point of view because I wasn't raised in that belief, but I don't think your god would want you to be miserable. Those people put you through hell. They got off on it! Even in death they're able to bring you down, and I can't see that any maker would want that for someone as good as you," I answered truthfully.

The kitchen was quiet again after my outburst, Bella thinking about what I had just said and me focusing on the tiny hand that found its way into mine. Her little fingers twined with mine as her thumb lightly tapped against the back of my hand. This girl knew what I was and still accepted me and the things I had done. She held the hand of a killer and worried about her soul because she was happy about the demise of her enemies. She was truly one of a kind.

"Paul?"

"Hmm?"

"Did they . . . Were they responsible for Charlie's death?" Her brow was furrowed and she started chewing on her lip again.

"Yeah."

"And did you?" she asked with a head bob.

I gave an unapologetic smile and said, "I might have taken a little bit longer with that one."

Bella returned my smile and nodded. Helping her to her feet, I wasn't as conflicted with the things I had done in Seattle. It was worth it, my slightly tarnished soul and the self-doubt that ate at me. Her smile and the spark in her eyes were worth any questionable thing I did in Seattle.

_Bella_ was worth it.

~C~C~C~

"If things are going to work between us, you are going to have to quit your day job," Laurent said, licking the chocolate mousse from his spoon.

I had accepted his offer to stay for dinner and the dessert was equally mouth-watering. Bella had left with Emmett, giggling and looking back and forth between me and Laurent. I didn't want to rush things, but the man cooked a gourmet meal for me and my walls were quickly lowering.

"Is that so?" I asked, arching a brow.

He nodded his head then took the dirty bowls to the sink. Leaning against it he crossed his arms and my eyes were drawn to the corded muscles in his arms. There was something undeniably sexy about older, confident men. They didn't come off as cocky like some of their younger counterparts.

Nodding his head, Laurent said, "There's no need for you to do such things. Is it for the money? I have money. You could be my little sugar baby."

I couldn't help chuckling at that. I should have been mad, but it was the way he said it. I already had plenty of money and it was new, someone wanting to take care of me.

"You know?"

"Please. Esme, God bless her, loves to gossip. I knew you would be rolling into town and about why the Cullens are a little weary of you. I didn't know you would look so sinful," he said, giving me a little wink.

"And you're not 'weary' of me?"

He took a deep breath, and I felt myself tense. I had always kept that part of my life separate from any lover or potential lover, and for good reason. That Laurent knew already made me more than uneasy. I _wanted_him to like me. Laurent was not only sexy, but he was smart, funny, and successful. He was nearly perfect and he came with an accent that made me forget about Scott what's-his-name.

"Part of me does have a problem with it, yes. But I have seen how it has affected Bella, and I cannot hold it against you. She was not herself, but then you waltzed in and now she is better. I am not stupid, I know you took care of that scum and I am grateful. However, I don't think I could share a bed with someone wondering if they had just come back from that kind of 'work.' I could not simply look the other way because that is not who I am. So, I am asking you to . . . retire."

It was something I was considering before I arrived in Washington. Sam was a family man now and he couldn't risk his well-being and the stability of his family just to take another job. Besides, seeing him with Samantha I knew he would want to be there for it all. That left Jake. He was reaching the end of his rope; this final job would put him out of commission for some time. We couldn't keep doing this. "Retire."

"Yes, unless," he stopped to scratch his head before saying, "you enjoy this line of work."

Shaking my head, I said, "I don't like doing it. It's just my training; I'm good at it."

"I think we could find other things that you are good at, non?"

Yes, maybe settling down was in the cards for me after all. I smiled, took his hand in mine, and followed him upstairs. "I'm good at a great many things."

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it and aren't upset with Paul's orientation. I'd like to think my readers are more open-minded than that, so please—**_**no flames**_**.**

**Epi up next. Other than that, show me your love!**


	29. Bella's Dent Sucrée

Are you ready for the epilogue? I'm so excited about the response that I received from this story. It was my first and the fact that I've finished and that readers actually liked it means so much to me. Thanks for all the support and kind words. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I'm incorrect in crediting the songs it is by mistake. It's what's in my iPod, folks.

* * *

_Let us be in love  
(Let us be in love)  
Let's do old and grey  
(Let's do old and grey)  
I won't make you cry  
(I won't make you cry)  
I will never stray  
(I will never stray)  
I will do my part  
(I will do my part)  
Let us be in love tonight_

"_White Demon Love Song" by The Killers_

_**Seven years later…**_

**BPOV**

"How you put up with that bitch is beyond me. I would have kicked her Botox ass out of my bakery the second she implied my godchildren were bastards," Laurent said, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel.

The owner of that Botoxed ass was Mrs. Stanley. I had just handed her a box of macaroons while she asked for the hundredth time when Edward and I were getting married. Apparently destination weddings didn't count because they weren't invited to our beach wedding in Barbados. Of course they weren't invited. Why the hell would I want them there on our day? We were surrounded by our family and closest friends. The last time I checked that didn't include the vipers of Forks. Then if that wasn't bad enough, she not so quietly implied my children were born out of wedlock in a phony, concerned whisper.

I smiled at the protective vibe that was radiating off of Laurent and gave him a peck on the cheek. I knew Edward and I had made the right decision to name Laurent and Paul the guardians of our two children under the stipulation that if something ever happened to me and Edward, they would move to Fork or close enough to Edward's family. The main reason was because Rose and Emmett had three children, and Alice and Jasper had their second on the way. Some would think me crazy for entrusting my kids in the hands of a former assassin, but I knew if my children needed love and protection they would get it from Laurent and Paul.

After obtaining my GED, I focused on my relationship with Edward. It had taken a year before I even considered taking the trip down the aisle. There was the matter of building myself back up, making sure I was emotionally stable before taking that step. Carmen was a big help in those early years. In the end, Edward took all the trepidation out of the experience, even if it meant removing the aisle completely. We got married at Bottom Bay Beach…. in the sand.

A year and a half later, we welcomed into the world our first child, Deanna Esme Cullen. She weighed in at seven pounds three ounces and arrived on May 3rd at two in the morning. She had my brown hair and Edward's green eyes. We decided to name her Deanna in honor of one of the men we owed our lives to—Dean Wilder. Of course it would be years before we told her that story—_if_ we told her that story. For now, all she knew was that she was named after her Uncle Dean, who never missed a birthday or the holidays, and her Grandma Esme, who spoiled her rotten.

Three years after Deanna was born, I had her little brother, Charles Paul Cullen, who weighed six pounds and eight ounces and had to be delivered during an emergency C-section. He too was named after people that helped me claim my future. When Paul found out we named a child after him, he got tears in his eyes and excused himself from the room. Laurent had told me that it was one of the highest honors Paul had ever received.

It was no wonder Laurent was so protective of our children. The couple stayed with us whenever they were in town. They flew in frequently from their home in France, neither able to stay far from our kids for very long. While Paul was a help with taking care of Deanna and Charlie, Laurent was a blessing with helping me with my bakery, _Bella's Dent Sucrée._ He was responsible for most of the connections I had made in the Seattle area with suppliers and advertising, and he helped inspire me to pull on my big girl panties whenever I felt like throwing in the towel. As much as I hated to admit it, not even Edward's encouragements were enough when I felt that defeated. Of course Edward said all the right things, but I believed his opinion was biased. I could always count on Laurent to give me the brutal truth. _"Isabella, mon doux. The filling in these macaroons taste like something that came from your kids' diapers."_

No, he never said that, but if that day ever did happen, he would be the first to tell me the truth. The days he was in town, he spent at_ Dent Sucrée_. He always made tiramisu because I hated the taste of it, and he said I couldn't have a French bakery without tiramisu.

All of the customers had been helped and were happily enjoying their treats. I was in the archway between the kitchen and the counter nibbling on one of Laurent's latest experiments when Alice poked her head out of the office and said, "Bella, Deanna's teacher is on the phone."

I laughed while she rolled her eyes and asked her to man the counter while I took the call. Alice too had been a blessing. She put aside her job as a personal shopper and had taken it upon herself to help manage the bakery. I was lucky too because she kept everything running smoothly. She did the books, handled suppliers and orders, help me set-up a website, and even fielded calls.

This was the third time that Deanna's teacher had called. She was going through the point in her childhood where she was still discovering the importance of respecting other people's possessions. Unfortunately, when my daughter saw something she liked, it became hers. She had already caused two fights and she was only in pre-school.

After ending the call with her teacher, I called Edward. When he picked up, I said, "Hey, babe, do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, I'm at Mom and Dad's," Edward said.

"Oh, what did Carlisle say?"

"He said it was an ear infection, prescribed some drops, and said it was nothing to worry about," Edward grumbled.

I wanted to laugh at his irritability. Edward hated having to watch our son cry without being able to take the pain away. It was the same whenever Deanna got sick. I was convinced the only reason why Edward was civil with Carlisle was because he was our kids' grandfather. Had it been any other doctor, Edward would constantly question everything thing they did.

"Esme just left to pick-up Deanna," Edward said. "Not that I mind receiving a call from my beautiful wife, but was there any particular reason you called?"

I sighed before telling him about the parent-teacher conference that was scheduled. I listened to Edward rant about our daughter being singled out and treated like a hoodlum.

"It's not funny, Bella. Deanna's behaviors are perfectly natural for her age group; I Googled it," he said, hotly.

I was about to respond to him when a shout outside the office window stopped me. I peered through the blinds to see what the commotion was about, barely registering that Edward was talking again. It wasn't that I normally tuned out my husband, but what I saw had to be the funniest thing I had witnessed in quite some time. A crowd of patrons was filing out of my establishment, following Paul, who had arrived while I was in the office. The funny thing was, he had Mrs. Stanley's daughter, Jessica, by the collar of her jacket and was non-too gently throwing her out on her ass.

Jessica was like her mother—a vapid, jealous bitch. I put up with her flirting with my husband because I wasn't worried she could steal him away. Most of the time when Edward caught sight of her, he used me, our children, and sometimes Leah as a shield against her unwanted attention. He didn't find it nearly as funny as I did.

"Baby, I got to call you back," I said as I was hanging up on him. By the time I made it back to the register where Laurent was standing, the small crowd was coming back into the shop.

Laurent sadly watched as Paul rounded the glass cases and helped himself to some coffee. My mentor turned to Alice who was standing on his other side and said something to her. She quickly nodded her head and said, "Alright, folks! Macaroons on the house!"

While the patrons got in line and were talking about what happened, I nudged Laurent's shoulder and said, "What did I miss?"

He sighed, his eyes still on his lover who had taken a seat at one of the tables next to the large shop window, and he said, "That stuck-up bitch just got herself and her family kicked out of your shop, mon doux."

I wasn't too upset, but I was curious about what led up to the expulsion. Knowing whatever it was must have been bad, I rested my head against my mentor's shoulder and said, "What did she do?"

"She mentioned your husband in passing. I wasn't in the mood to hear her talking about things that would never happened and told her she was dreaming. She didn't particularly like hearing the truth," he said, trailing off.

I cocked my head to the side and looked at Laurent. He was upset, his French accent more pronounced, and I knew that I wasn't going to like hearing what she did in retaliation. "What did that skank say?"

"Something about Edward growing tired—"

"Dammit, I'm not talking about the delusional bullshit she's always spouting," I hissed. "What did she do that caused that reaction from Paul?"

He let out another weary sigh and said, "She called me a Euro-trash faggot."

After the shock of hearing about Jessica's bigotry, I wrapped my arms around him, saying, "Oh, Laurent. I am so sorry that you had to put up with that. I should have kicked her and her mother out of here years ago."

"I am not terribly upset, Isabella. The 'F' word I've been called before, but Euro-trash—never. Paul was pissed off and told her to leave, but she would not listen. She even said he would be stupid to try anything. He grabbed her by the collar and told her she and her family were no longer welcomed here."

After placing a kiss on Laurent's cheek, I dished up some of the cappuccino mousse that I made specially for Paul and made my way to his table.

"Thanks, Bella," he said, using the spoon I offered him to scoop out one of his favorite treats, but the smile on his face didn't reach his eyes.

"I should be thanking you. I've been meaning to take out the trash," I joked.

He chuckled and said, "I have never liked that woman. She makes a part of me that I've long since buried want to come out, and it scares me. I despise that her hatred could trigger my own like that, Bella; I'm better than that. Christ, what if one of the kids was here? What if I didn't have a better grip and I knocked out that ignorant bitch like I wanted to?"

Taking his hand in mine, I said, "But you didn't, Paul. Like you said, you're better than that. I'm happy with how you handled the situation."

"So, you're not mad that I chased away some of your customers?" he asked, peering up from under his ridiculously long lashes.

I smiled at him, stood from the table, and cleared my throat before saying in a loud voice, "Folks, can I please have your attention? It seems we had a bit of excitement earlier, and I want to make one thing clear. That kind of small-mindedness will not be tolerated here at _Bella's Dent Sucrée._ If you have a problem with the way I run my shop or who helps me manage it, I suggest you find another bakery."

Both Paul and Laurent beamed at me and we spent the next hour talking to customers who felt they needed to voice their support. They told us that they were appalled at the way Jessica spoke to Laurent and said they were ashamed to know her. That loyalty was tested when Mr. Stanley, Jessica's father, entered the shop. It was funny to see the way spines stiffened and people glared at him as if he was responsible for the things his daughter said.

I smiled at him while he hesitantly made his way up to the counter and said, "Mrs. Cullen, Mr. Revine, Mr. Kwoli." He continued after we each retuned his nods, saying, "I wanted to stop by and apologize for the appalling way my daughter has acted. I heard about what happened and I am deeply ashamed that she said those horrible things."

"Be that as it may, Mr. Stanley, I stand by Mr. Kwoli's actions. She was out of line and your family is no longer welcomed here," I said, eyeing the timid man. It seemed his only fault was his inability to stand up to his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, his inability to raise his daughter better caused an upset in my establishment.

"I understand that Mrs. Cullen, I do," he said, shuffling from one foot to the other.

Then, like a light bulb, everything clicked. He wasn't here to plead on the behalf of his daughter and wife; he was here to fight against being banned himself. Paul seemed to reach the same conclusion I had and was fighting against laughing out loud. I turned and arched a brow at him and Laurent, wanting to know if they had a problem with what I was about to suggest. Paul, the jackass, shrugged his shoulders while Laurent rolled his eyes, muttered something in French, and pulled Paul away to the kitchen archway.

Turning my attention back to Mr. Stanley, I said, "Mr. Stanley, thank you for the apology. It is my understanding you do not wish to join your wife and daughter in being banned from my bakery?" He nodded his head, probably in relief that he didn't have to grovel anymore. "I have no problem with you. I actually happen to like you, Mr. Stanley, but I can't allow you to take any of my pastries back home. It would defeat the point I am trying to send to your wife, daughter, and anyone who believes it's okay to verbally assault the people who work here."

His shoulders slumped almost comically, and he said, "I don't blame you."

"However," I said, interrupting him, "I see no problem if you happened to stop by and ordered something, had a seat, perhaps read the paper just to get away for a little bit."

Mr. Stanley's eyes lit up and he said, "I am so happy to hear that. I don't think I'll be able to find better pains au chocolat than the ones you make. Thank you, thank you."

I smiled knowing he would probably find the means to break away from his horrid wife and bitch of a daughter. Yep, we were going to see a lot more of Mr. Stanley.

~C~C~C~

"How about this?" Edward asked before playing another tune on his Steinway.

I sat curled on the window bench that had become my spot. It had been two weeks since the Stanley Stand-off, as Emmett called it, and I was chewing on the end of the pen in my hand, thinking about the jazzy little melody that Edward was playing. "It's a little salty, a bit of a tease. Perhaps a peanut buttery-hazelnut sweet?"

Edward moaned, licked his lips, and said, "Will it go good with my coffee?"

Grinning, I nodded my head and started jotting down the ingredients that would be needed to make the peanut butter hazelnut cookies I had in mind, or perhaps it could be a coffee bar. In the five years since opening the bakery, Edward helped me change up the menu when it needed new life. He always said I was his muse, the two Oscars in our "Room of Accomplishments," aka the study, were proof of that claim. But the truth was he was just as much an inspiration to me. Listening to the music that his talented hands produced, I could visualize the sounds and turn them to flavors.

"Next," I said, leaning against the window, watching my husband.

"Okay, okay. I got one for you," he said, turning back to the keys.

It was a lullaby I had heard many times. Over the years it had altered slightly, each obstacle and event giving new meaning to the composition. The notes twirled and played in the air with a carefree innocence that nearly brought tears to my eyes. I moved to the piano bench, leaned my head against Edward's shoulder, and whispered, "Light, sweet, and a refreshing tartness. Orange cream… possibly a cake?"

"Cupcake," Edward said with a determined nod.

"Deanna's Dreamsicle Cupcake," I whispered, looking at his strong jaw line. "Simple."

"Sweet," he responded.

He turned, his gaze drawn to the lips that I had unconsciously licked. My breath deepened, and the current that had always run between us was fighting to break free, charging the air surrounding us. Just as he lips brushed against mine, we heard a tiny voice shouting, "Daaddyyyyyy!"

I laughed at Edward's defeated groan and said, "It sounds like you're being summoned."

He hummed, stood from the piano bench, and placed one last kiss on my head. "I'll meet you upstairs, love."

While Edward checked in with the kids, I locked up the house even thought I knew Edward would double check later. Making my way upstairs, I stopped outside my daughter's bedroom. I didn't need to poke my head in to know what was happening. I heard two things, Edward humming a lullaby he composed for his princess and the creak of the rocking chair as he rocked Charlie to sleep.

Smiling, I headed for our bedroom. After washing my face and taking off my shirt and jeans, I stood before my dresser where my jewelry box was perched and reached behind my neck to unfasten the clasp on my necklace. Edward had given me the simple white gold cross which held a diamond in the center as a birthday present.

As soon as I placed it in the box with my other necklaces, I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and Edward's lips place a soft kiss on the side of my neck. Without saying a word, he unclasped my bra and trailed kisses down my spine as he slid my panties to the floor, causing me to shiver.

Lifting me in his arms, he carried me to our bed and gently placed me down before quickly shedding his clothes. I sighed as he spent time kissing every inch of my body, including the scar that was left from the C-section. I couldn't understand how he still found it and the little pooch that was left after my pregnancies beautiful.

Almost like he could read my mind, Edward said, "You are so beautiful. I'll never know how I got so lucky that you said yes to me."

I groaned as he slowly pushed into me, relishing the feeling of my husband filling me so completely. "Edward," I gasped.

He swallowed all of my whimpers and cries and used his tongue to gently stroke mine as he worked up to a pace that had me panting for more. He never stopped his pace as he held me and told me how much he loved and needed me. We spent the whole night making love, only stopping once when we heard Charlie crying. I was truly lucky and would always be grateful that Edward wanted me as much as I wanted him.

"I love you, Edward," I said, placing a kiss on his chest. The bed sheets were tossed to the side and we were a mess of tangled limbs.

He smiled at me while brushing away strands of hair that were plastered to my damp forehead and said, "I love you, my beautiful angel."

I had come a long way from being the shy, broken girl he first met. But with Edward by my side, I felt like I could take on the world.

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**A/N: I hoped you like it. Remember that this is the last chance you get to comment on this fic, so please leave me some love!**

**I'm also going to start posting Apple Dumpling Club soon! (So be on the look out for that.) It's very different from Control… more lemons… more swearing… tattoos… Bikerward… yeah.**


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